They Forced Me to Take the Fall…Then a Billionaire Heir Chose Me!
Chapter 4
Ava spent the night going through every document Julian had collected.
By sunrise, she understood the scale of the conspiracy.
Richard Blackwood wasn’t simply stealing money.
He was manipulating ownership.
Over the past two years, companies connected to Blackwood International had quietly transferred assets into shell corporations.
The transactions looked legitimate.
But together, they created a hidden network.
Richard intended to trigger a corporate crisis.
Then he would appear as the only person capable of saving the company.
The final step was tomorrow’s board meeting.
If the board voted Richard into executive control, billions of dollars would shift under his authority.
And Ava would take the fall for the first part of the operation.
She looked at Julian.
“Why hasn’t your father stopped him?”
“My father is sick.”
“Does he know?”
“I think so.”
“You think?”
Julian hesitated.
“My father hasn’t spoken to me directly in months.”
Ava studied him.
“Why?”
“Because Richard controls his security team.”
That frightened her more than anything else.
Julian’s father wasn’t simply ill.
He was isolated.
Ava stood.
“Then we need to talk to him.”
Julian shook his head.
“We can’t get inside the estate.”
“Why?”
“Richard controls who enters.”
“Then how did you get out?”
Julian smiled bitterly.
“I left before he realized I knew.”
Ava looked at the documents again.
“There must be another way.”
Julian opened a drawer.
Inside was an old key.
“My father gave me this.”
Ava looked at it.
“What does it open?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then find out.”
They drove to the Blackwood estate.
The property occupied an enormous hill overlooking the city.
Security surrounded it.
Cameras covered every entrance.
Julian didn’t approach the front gate.
Instead, he drove around the property.
They stopped beside an abandoned greenhouse.
Julian used the key.
A hidden door opened.
Inside was a narrow tunnel.
Ava stared.
“Your family has tunnels?”
“My family has secrets.”
They entered.
The tunnel led beneath the main house.
They emerged inside an old study.
Julian’s father was sitting in a wheelchair.
Ava expected an elderly billionaire surrounded by doctors.
Instead, she saw a frightened man.
He looked at Julian.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
Julian approached.
“Father.”
The old man looked at Ava.
“Who is she?”
“The woman Richard framed.”
His father closed his eyes.
“I was afraid he’d do this.”
Ava stepped forward.
“Then tell us everything.”
The old man looked toward the door.
“Richard has been planning this for years.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“Because he controls everything.”
“Not everything.”
The old man looked at Julian.
“You.”
Julian shook his head.
“I can’t do this alone.”
His father smiled faintly.
“You were never supposed to.”
Then he reached beneath his desk.
He pulled out a small black notebook.
“This contains the names of everyone involved.”
Ava reached for it.
But before she could take it, the study door exploded open.
Armed men rushed inside.
Julian grabbed Ava.
“Run!”
They escaped through the tunnel.
Behind them, the old man’s voice echoed:
“Take the notebook!”
Ava held it tightly.
Now they had the evidence.
But they had also revealed themselves.
Richard knew they had it.
And he would do anything to get it back.
