Chapter 4 - The Friend Roman Trusted Most
Roman stared at the photograph for a long time.
Natalie didn’t speak.
Vincent Hale had stood beside Roman through his father’s funeral, hostile corporate takeovers, lawsuits, investigations, and every crisis that followed.
He knew Roman’s businesses.
His homes.
His schedules.
His passwords had changed over the years, but Vincent knew how the systems worked.
Most importantly, Vincent had known Carlo.
“Roman?”
He finally looked up.
“This proves nothing.”
Natalie nodded.
“I know.”
“Your grandmother could have been mistaken.”
“I know.”
“He was twenty-six in this photograph.”
“I know.”
Roman’s voice hardened.
“Stop agreeing with me.”
“What would you prefer?”
“I don’t know.”
“That sounds inconvenient.”
Against all logic, he almost laughed.
Natalie had discovered something strange about Roman.
When everyone else treated him like a dangerous king, he became colder.
When she treated him like a difficult human being, he became human.
They photographed every document before leaving Room 417.
Roman told nobody.
Especially Vincent.
For the next forty-eight hours, Roman behaved as though nothing had changed.
Vincent attended meetings.
Roman listened.
Natalie returned to work.
Victoria remained missing.
Harold was temporarily suspended from financial responsibilities but kept on payroll at Roman’s insistence.
Then Natalie noticed something.
Vincent visited the hotel even when Roman wasn’t there.
Three times in two days.
On the third evening, she followed him.
Not closely.
Natalie wasn’t foolish.
She stayed across the lobby as Vincent entered an employee corridor.
Five minutes later, he emerged.
Then Natalie saw who had been waiting inside.
Daniel Price.
The real Daniel.
He looked terrified.
Natalie intercepted him afterward.
“Daniel?”
He jumped.
“What?”
“Why was Vincent Hale talking to you?”
Daniel’s face drained.
“Nobody.”
“I literally watched him.”
“You need to stop asking questions.”
Natalie frowned.
“Daniel.”
He lowered his voice.
“You don’t understand what you’re involved in.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Daniel looked toward the security cameras.
Then whispered, “Victoria didn’t leave voluntarily.”
Natalie’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
“She called me that night.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she had proof. She said somebody had been forcing her to approve fake vendors for years.”
“Who?”
“She wouldn’t say.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel started walking away.
Natalie grabbed his sleeve.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“She told me one more thing.”
“What?”
“If anything happened, I should tell you to look inside the ballroom wall.”
Natalie released him.
“The partition?”
Daniel nodded.
That night, after the ballroom emptied, Natalie returned.
Roman found her crouched beside the temporary partition with a flashlight.
“What are you doing?”
She nearly screamed.
“You move like a serial killer.”
“I walked normally.”
“For you, apparently.”
She told him about Daniel.
Roman’s expression tightened.
Together they examined the wall.
Behind one panel, Natalie found tape.
Attached beneath the molding was a small flash drive.
Victoria had hidden it.
Roman inserted it into an isolated laptop.
A video appeared.
Victoria sat in her office.
She looked frightened.
“If Natalie finds this, I owe you an apology.”
Natalie stared at the screen.
Victoria continued.
“I treated you badly because I needed you to hate me.”
Natalie whispered, “What?”
“The people behind the accounts noticed you three years ago. You asked too many questions. I thought if I kept you away from executives and important events, they’d decide you weren’t a threat.”
Natalie’s eyes filled.
Every insult.
Every time Victoria had pushed her behind the scenes.
Natalie had believed it was jealousy.
Maybe some of it had been.
But not all.
Victoria continued.
“My brother Marcus created some of the shell vendors, but he isn’t the person in control. He owes money. They used him.”
Roman leaned closer.
“Who?”
Victoria looked directly into the camera.
“The man responsible has been beside Roman for years.”
Roman’s face became stone.
Victoria continued.
“But it isn’t Vincent Hale.”
Roman and Natalie exchanged a look.
Natalie’s grandmother had warned them about Vincent.
Victoria was clearing him.
One of them was wrong.
Or both had known different pieces of the truth.
Victoria took a shaky breath.
“Vincent discovered the accounts years ago. That’s why Evelyn didn’t trust him. She thought he was involved. She died before learning the truth.”
Natalie whispered, “Then who?”
Victoria reached for something outside the camera frame.
Before she could reveal it, the recording abruptly ended.
“That’s it?” Natalie said.
Roman replayed the final seconds.
Something appeared reflected in Victoria’s office window.
A man standing outside.
Only part of his face was visible.
Roman paused the image.
His expression changed.
Natalie saw recognition immediately.
“Who is he?”
Roman didn’t answer.
“Roman.”
He enlarged the reflection.
An older man.
Silver hair.
Expensive suit.
Natalie had seen him before.
At the gala.
At board meetings.
In photographs throughout the hotel.
Thomas Mercer.
Chairman of the Harrington Grand’s ownership board.
And Roman’s godfather.
The man Carlo Duca had trusted with his son.
Roman sat back.
Thomas had taught him to drive.
Thomas had attended every birthday after Carlo died.
Thomas had helped Roman turn the Duca businesses legitimate.
Thomas had also been present when Roman’s father created the executive authorization system.
“He knew the codes,” Roman whispered.
Natalie understood.
“He could have created your father’s authorization after he died.”
“Yes.”
“And mine?”
“Yes.”
Roman’s phone rang.
Thomas Mercer.
Roman and Natalie stared at the screen.
Roman answered.
“Thomas.”
“Roman, we need to talk.”
“About?”
“Natalie Brooks.”
Natalie went still.
Thomas continued.
“She’s dangerous.”
Roman looked directly at Natalie.
“How?”
“She’s been stealing from the hotel.”
Roman said nothing.
“I have proof,” Thomas continued. “And I know where Victoria Crane is.”
Roman’s eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
Thomas gave him an address.
Then added:
“Come alone.”
The call ended.
Natalie immediately said, “You’re not going alone.”
Roman looked at her.
“He specifically requested it.”
“Yes, and suspicious people are famous for giving excellent safety advice.”
Roman stood.
Natalie blocked the doorway.
“You don’t trust him.”
“No.”
“Then I’m coming.”
“No.”
She folded her arms.
Roman sighed.
“You are extraordinarily difficult.”
“You discovered that through a wall.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the address.
It was an old townhouse belonging to the Duca family.
Roman entered first.
The house was dark.
“Thomas?” he called.
No answer.
Then Natalie saw light beneath a basement door.
They descended.
Victoria Crane sat in a chair.
Alive.
Unharmed.
Terrified.
She looked up.
“Roman.”
He approached.
“Where’s Thomas?”
Victoria shook her head.
“He was never here.”
Roman stopped.
“What?”
“He told me to wait here. He said you were coming.”
Natalie suddenly understood.
“It’s a trap.”
Roman’s phone buzzed.
A message from hotel security.
Unauthorized access detected: Room 417.
Roman stared at the screen.
Thomas hadn’t wanted Roman at the townhouse.
He had wanted Roman away from the hotel.
Roman called security.
No answer.
Then another message appeared.
A photograph.
Room 417.
Empty.
Every document was gone.
But whoever had taken them left one thing behind.
An envelope addressed to Roman.
May you like
Inside, security later found a single handwritten note:
Ask Natalie what really happened to her grandmother.
