Chapter 4 - The Manhattan Ledger
Back in Manhattan, the snow had turned to a slushy, gray mess against the pavement, mirroring the state of Harrison Mercer's mind.
He stood in his sleek, minimalist penthouse office, staring down at the open safe built into the cherry-wood wall. It was empty. The backup ledger, the emergency cash reserves, and the spare set of corporate keys were gone.
"Sir?"
Harrison spun around. Daniel Reeves, his attorney, stood by the doorway, looking pale and deeply uncomfortable.
"Did you find her?" Harrison demanded, his voice tight with controlled panic. "Did the private investigators track her phone?"
"Her phone is off, Harrison. She dumped it or turned it off near the Amtrak station north of Albany," Daniel said, stepping into the room and closing the heavy oak door. "Listen to me, we have a bigger problem than Clare running off to Vermont."
Harrison clenched his jaw. "Nothing is a bigger problem than my wife walking out with my father's box on Christmas morning. Do you know what's in that box, Daniel? Proof of the restructure shell companies. Proof of Grace."
"Grace is ancient history," Daniel snapped back, losing his professional composure. "She took a settlement and signed a non-disclosure agreement seven years ago. She won't talk. But William's other son will."
Harrison froze. The air left the room. "What did you say?"
Daniel pulled a manila folder from under his arm and tossed it onto the glass desk. "Leo Parker. He came to my office four days ago demanding a meeting with William. When I told him William had passed, he asked to see the estate files. He knows about the trust, Harrison. And worse—he has copies of the original partnership deeds signed by your father before he got sick."
Harrison walked slowly toward the desk, his hands gripping the glass edge. The knuckles turned white. "Where is he?"
"That's the terrifying part," Daniel said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He left my office saying he was going straight to your apartment to confront you. That was December 21st. He never made it home to Vermont, and his phone has been disconnected ever since."
Harrison stared at the folder, the blood draining from his face. A cold sweat broke out across his neck. "You think something happened to him?"
"I think," Daniel said grimly, "that if Leo went to your apartment while you were at that corporate retreat in the Hamptons, and your housekeeper let him in... someone needs to check what's hidden behind the walls of your penthouse."
Harrison didn't answer. He remembered the weekend retreat two weeks ago. He remembered the faint smell of unfamiliar cologne in the foyer when he returned. He had blamed Sienna at the time.
Now, a much darker realization took hold.
May you like
Without a word, Harrison grabbed his coat keys, brushed past Daniel, and headed for the private elevator that led straight down to the underground parking garage.
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