Chương 6
“Then Martin already found them.”
Warren shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if he had found them, he would have taken everything.”
Charles looked around.
“What are you saying?”
Warren pointed toward the empty shelf.
“He took only one file.”
Teresa moved closer.
“Which file?”
Warren’s face turned completely serious.
“The one that could prove Lillian is not the rightful owner.”
Charles felt a cold wave move through him.
“What does that mean?”
Warren looked at the empty room.
“It means Martin was not trying to steal her inheritance.”
He paused.
“He was trying to erase her claim to it.”
Charles stared at Warren.
“What file could erase her claim?”
Warren did not answer immediately.
He walked deeper into the hidden room, his fingers moving across the old wooden shelves.
“This room belonged to Lillian’s father.”
Charles followed him.
“You said Martin worked with him.”
“Yes.”
“What happened between them?”
Warren looked at the empty space where the missing file had been.
“Her father discovered Martin was stealing research.”
Teresa stepped closer.
“Stealing what?”
“Data.”
Warren pointed toward the shelves.
“Years of experiments.”
“Why?”
“Because Martin wanted to sell the work.”
Charles looked around the room.
“And Lillian’s father stopped him.”
“Yes.”
“What happened after that?”
Warren’s face became darker.
“Martin lost everything.”
Teresa wrote something down.
“And then?”
“Then Lillian’s father died.”
The room became quiet.
Charles looked at Warren.
“Are you saying Martin caused his death?”
Warren shook his head.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I’m saying Martin spent twenty years believing he was robbed.”
Charles looked toward the empty shelf.
“And now he thinks Lillian inherited what he lost.”
Warren nodded.
“He believes the patent should have belonged to him.”
Teresa examined the remaining documents.
“Why take only one file?”
Warren walked closer.
“Because the other documents prove the research belongs to Lillian’s family.”
“And the missing file?”
“It contains a signature.”
“Whose signature?”
Warren looked at Charles.
“Lillian’s father.”
Charles understood.
“A transfer document.”
“Yes.”
“If Martin gets it, he can claim the research was transferred to him.”
Warren nodded.
“He could create a legal battle.”
“Not just a legal battle,” Teresa said.
Everyone looked at her.
“He could make Lillian look like she stole something.”
Charles felt sick.
The entire plan was becoming clearer.
Martin did not need Lillian dead.
Not immediately.
He needed her reputation destroyed.
He needed her to appear dishonest.
He needed the world to question whether she deserved what her father left behind.
Then he could take everything without looking like a thief.
“Where is Martin now?” Charles asked.
Teresa looked toward the basement entrance.
“We’re finding out.”
At that moment, one of the officers rushed downstairs.
“Detective Morales.”
Teresa turned.
“We found something.”
They followed him outside.
Behind the house, near the tree line, was a small object lying in the grass.
A phone.
Teresa put on gloves and picked it up.
“Whose is it?”
The officer shook his head.
“We don’t know.”
Warren looked at it.
Then his face changed.
“That’s Martin’s.”
Charles looked at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve seen it before.”
Teresa unlocked the screen.
The phone had no password.
That was unusual.
Someone who wanted to hide something would protect it.
Unless they wanted someone to find it.
Inside were dozens of messages.
Most were between Martin and Warren.
Teresa opened the newest conversation.
Her eyes moved across the screen.
Then she looked at Warren.
“You received these?”
Warren nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because I was afraid.”
Charles stepped closer.
“What did they say?”
Teresa read silently for a moment.
Then she handed the phone to Charles.
The message was from Martin.
You have one chance left.
The next time she wakes up, she cannot remember anything.
Charles looked up.
“What does this mean?”
Warren’s face went pale.
“I don’t know.”
“You do know.”
“No.”
Charles’s voice hardened.
“Warren.”
“I swear.”
Teresa took the phone back.
“Charles.”
He looked at her.
“This changes things.”
“How?”
“Martin wasn’t just trying to steal documents.”
She looked at the message.
“He was planning something with Lillian’s medical condition.”
Charles felt a cold wave move through him.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying the attack was not finished.”
Back at the hospital, Charles moved faster than he had in years.
He called the intensive care unit before entering.
“Do not let anyone access Lillian’s room.”
The nurse answered immediately.
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Possible attempted interference.”
The nurse’s voice changed.
“We’ll secure the room.”
When Charles arrived, two officers were already standing outside.
Lillian was awake.
She looked at him.
“What happened?”
Charles walked inside.
“Someone broke into your house.”
Her expression changed.
“The documents?”
“Some were taken.”
She closed her eyes.
“Martin.”
Charles froze.
“You know him?”
“I remember him.”
“What do you remember?”
Lillian looked toward the window.
“He was always angry.”
“About what?”
“My father.”
“Why?”
“Because my father trusted him.”
Charles sat down.
“What did Martin do?”
“He lied.”
Her voice became quieter.
“He told my father he wanted to help complete the research.”
“But?”
“He wanted control.”
Charles listened.
“My father found out.”
“What happened then?”
Lillian hesitated.
“Martin disappeared.”
Charles leaned closer.
“Lillian.”
She looked at him.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“My father left me a letter.”
“When?”
“After he died.”
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
Charles frowned.
“You never read it?”
“I did.”
“Then where is it?”
Lillian looked frightened.
“Warren took it.”
Charles went silent.
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“Why?”
“He said he was protecting me.”
Charles felt a painful realization.
“How long have you known Warren had it?”
“Since yesterday.”
“Yesterday?”
Lillian nodded.
“I found an old box in his office.”
“What was inside?”
“The letter.”
Charles stared.
“And?”
“I read it.”
“What did it say?”
Lillian’s eyes filled with tears.
“My father knew Martin would come back.”
The room became silent.
May you like
“He wrote that if Martin ever found out about the patent, he would try to destroy me.”
Charles looked toward the door.
