Chapter 3 - The Secret Hidden in Her Father’s Debt
Daniel Mercer smiled as though he had arrived for dinner rather than appeared inside a storage facility Audrey had visited without telling anyone.
“Audrey Collins.”
She backed toward the desk.
“How did you find me?”
Daniel’s smile remained.
“I’ve known about this storage unit longer than you have.”
Audrey tightened her grip on the envelope.
“You followed my father.”
“I monitored a liability.”
“My father was your employee.”
“He became inconvenient.”
The casual way Daniel said it terrified her more than shouting would have.
Audrey looked toward the open corridor.
No one.
The facility was nearly deserted.
“What do you want?”
“The envelope.”
“No.”
Daniel sighed.
“Your father always did make simple situations unnecessarily emotional.”
“You framed him.”
“Framed is such a theatrical word.”
“You made him reroute a shipment.”
“He made his own decisions.”
“You threatened him.”
“I gave him alternatives.”
Audrey stared at the elegant older man.
Now she understood Declan better.
Not because the two men were alike.
Because they were opposites.
Declan’s intimidation was obvious.
Heavy silence.
Direct orders.
A stare that told you precisely where you stood.
Daniel smiled while ruining lives.
“What happened to the missing money?”
Daniel adjusted one cuff.
“What missing money?”
“The half-million-dollar loss.”
“Accounting.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It’s the only one you need.”
Audrey’s pulse thundered.
“The company lost less than a hundred thousand.”
“Yes.”
“And I spent four years paying five hundred thousand.”
Daniel’s gaze became amused.
“Not exactly.”
Audrey froze.
“What?”
“The extra money didn’t remain with Mercer Holdings.”
She felt sick.
“Where did it go?”
Daniel tilted his head.
“Do you genuinely believe Declan watches every payroll deduction personally?”
Audrey stared.
“Where did it go?”
“A number of accounts.”
“Yours.”
“Some.”
Audrey’s face went cold.
“You stole my salary.”
Daniel’s smile thinned.
“I redirected funds owed to Mercer Holdings.”
“I never owed them.”
“You signed a contract.”
“Based on fraud.”
“Yes.”
The simple admission stunned her.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Give me the envelope.”
Audrey moved sideways.
“No.”
“Audrey.”
His tone stayed almost fatherly.
“You have paid your debt. You’re free. Walk away.”
“After four years?”
“Yes.”
“You think I’ll just forget?”
“I think intelligent people learn which victories matter.”
“My father lost four years.”
“So did you.”
His expression hardened slightly.
“Don’t lose more.”
Audrey reached behind her slowly.
Her fingertips found the heavy brass desk lamp packed beside the furniture.
Daniel noticed.
He laughed softly.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Then leave.”
“I need those documents.”
“Why?”
“Because they create inconvenience.”
“For you.”
“For Declan.”
Audrey hesitated.
Daniel saw it.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“Concern.”
“I’m not concerned about Declan.”
“Of course you are.”
He studied her.
“You spent four years beside him.”
“Because you trapped me there.”
“And what happened during those four years?”
“Nothing.”
Daniel smiled.
“That’s not what his eyes say when he looks at you.”
Audrey’s throat tightened.
“You don’t know anything about us.”
“There is an us?”
She immediately regretted the wording.
Daniel chuckled.
“Interesting.”
Audrey’s expression hardened.
“The documents stay with me.”
Daniel’s smile vanished.
For the first time, she saw the Mercer family resemblance.
Cold eyes.
Complete stillness.
“Audrey.”
A second voice came from behind him.
“Step away from her.”
Daniel turned.
Declan stood outside the storage unit.
No overcoat.
White dress shirt darkened by rain across the shoulders.
His face was terrifyingly calm.
Gideon stood several feet behind him.
Daniel smiled.
“Nephew.”
Declan did not look at him.
His eyes were on Audrey.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“How did you find me?”
“I didn’t.”
Audrey frowned.
“Gideon did.”
Gideon raised one hand slightly.
“Your father’s property records included the storage lease.”
Audrey’s expression sharpened.
“So you searched my father’s records.”
Declan flinched almost imperceptibly.
“Yes.”
“Of course you did.”
“Audrey—”
Daniel laughed.
“This is why she’s leaving you.”
Declan’s eyes moved to him.
“Shut up.”
“Still charming.”
“What are you doing here?”
Daniel gestured toward the envelope.
“Correcting an old administrative problem.”
Declan stepped inside.
“No.”
Daniel studied him.
“You don’t know what those papers contain.”
“I know enough.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Declan looked at Audrey.
“The debt was false.”
She stared at him.
He continued.
“Not all of it. Your father did participate in rerouting one shipment.”
“I know.”
“But the actual loss was ninety-three thousand dollars.”
Audrey’s jaw tightened.
“Eighty-nine thousand, according to these.”
She lifted the envelope.
Declan looked toward Daniel.
Daniel shrugged.
“Accounting variations.”
Declan moved so quickly Audrey barely saw it.
He did not strike his uncle.
He simply seized the lapels of Daniel’s coat and forced him backward against the metal frame of the storage unit.
Gideon stepped forward.
“Declan.”
Daniel remained strangely calm.
“There he is.”
Declan’s voice dropped.
“You used her.”
Daniel smiled.
“I used you.”
That stopped him.
Daniel’s eyes gleamed.
“I knew exactly what would happen.”
Declan stared.
“You were twenty-nine, desperate to prove you could control the company after your father died. Thomas Collins stole cargo. I inflated the numbers and put the statement in front of you.”
Declan’s grip tightened.
“You never checked.”
Audrey watched Declan’s face change.
Not anger.
Something closer to shame.
Daniel continued.
“You went to the hospital.”
Declan released him slowly.
“You remember?”
Daniel brushed his coat.
“I remember everything.”
“You planned for Audrey to repay it.”
“I planned for the debt to give you leverage over Thomas.”
“Then why her?”
“Because Thomas broke.”
Daniel glanced at Audrey.
“And she volunteered.”
Audrey felt as though she had been struck.
Declan’s face went pale.
“You knew she would offer herself.”
“I suspected.”
“You stole four years of her life.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“No, Declan.”
He looked directly at him.
“You did.”
Silence.
Audrey lowered her gaze.
The cruelest part was that Daniel was not entirely wrong.
Declan had believed the debt was real.
But he had enforced it.
He had accepted her labor.
Her salary.
Her exhaustion.
For years.
Declan looked at Audrey.
She could not read his expression.
Daniel stepped toward the exit.
Gideon blocked him.
Declan spoke without looking away from Audrey.
“Let him go.”
Gideon stared.
“What?”
“Let him go.”
Daniel smiled.
“Smart.”
Declan finally turned.
“Don’t mistake this for mercy.”
Daniel paused.
Declan’s voice was quiet.
“Tomorrow morning, every record connected to your shell companies goes to federal investigators.”
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“You wouldn’t.”
“You taught me everything has a price.”
Declan looked at Audrey.
“I just finally figured out yours.”
Daniel left.
Gideon followed at a distance.
Audrey and Declan remained.
Rain drummed on the metal roof.
Declan looked toward the envelope.
“You should make copies.”
“I already planned to.”
“Keep the originals somewhere Daniel can’t reach.”
“Why are you helping me?”
Declan’s expression tightened.
“Because I owe you.”
Audrey laughed once.
Bitterly.
“That’s almost funny.”
“I know.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“You don’t.”
Declan stood completely still.
Audrey approached.
“All those years.”
Her voice began shaking.
“All those weekends.”
“Audrey—”
“I missed my best friend’s wedding because you needed me in Montreal.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“I spent Christmas in this city every year because you scheduled overseas calls.”
“I know.”
“My father forgot my birthday last year.”
She fought tears.
“And I sat outside your office until midnight fixing a shipping crisis that made you three million dollars.”
Declan’s voice became rough.
“I know.”
“I sold my mother’s necklace.”
He closed his eyes.
“Stop saying you know.”
Declan opened them.
“You’re right.”
Audrey’s breathing trembled.
He spoke quietly.
“I didn’t know.”
That honesty silenced her.
Declan looked at the dusty floor.
“I knew your schedule. Your coffee. Your work.”
He raised his gaze.
“I knew nothing about what it cost you.”
Audrey stared at him.
For once, Declan Mercer looked like a man without control.
“I’m sorry.”
She blinked.
He had never apologized to her.
Not seriously.
Not once.
Declan continued.
“I’ll repay everything.”
“No.”
“Every dollar.”
“No.”
“Audrey—”
“You can’t buy back four years.”
He stopped.
“No.”
“You can’t make this disappear.”
“No.”
“And you cannot make me stay.”
His eyes darkened with pain.
“No.”
Something inside her softened.
Only slightly.
Declan reached into his jacket.
Audrey tensed.
He withdrew a folded document.
“What is that?”
“Your resignation.”
She frowned.
“I haven’t submitted one.”
“I know.”
He handed it to her.
It was already signed.
At the bottom, beneath a typed release of all employment obligations, was Declan’s signature.
Audrey stared.
“You’re releasing me?”
“Yes.”
“Immediately?”
“If you want.”
She looked at him.
“And the Boston interview?”
“I won’t interfere.”
Audrey searched his expression.
“Why should I believe that?”
“You shouldn’t.”
His answer surprised her.
Declan glanced toward the papers.
“Believe what I do next instead.”
Then he walked toward the door.
“Declan.”
He stopped.
It was the first time that day she had used his first name.
He looked back.
Audrey held up the envelope.
“There’s more here.”
“What?”
“A transfer list.”
Declan returned.
Audrey unfolded one sheet.
“These account numbers.”
He examined them.
His face changed.
“What?”
“Those aren’t Daniel’s accounts.”
“How do you know?”
Declan took the page.
“Because one of them belongs to a Mercer Holdings internal trust.”
Audrey frowned.
“What trust?”
Declan’s eyes moved across the numbers.
Then stopped.
His expression became unreadable.
“No.”
“What?”
He looked at Gideon’s signature printed at the bottom of the page.
Audrey’s stomach dropped.
Declan whispered:
“Gideon authorized the transfers.”
And suddenly the man who had led Declan to the truth no longer looked like an ally.
May you like
He looked like the next secret.
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