Chapter 70: The Knox Connection

The photograph from the storage box gave Derek a new direction. Richard Knox had always described his relationship with Victor Shaw as distant and recent, but the old development ceremony proved they had known each other for more than fifteen years. Derek began reconstructing every business deal involving Knox Group, Victor, Greyline Partners, and the contractors from Freya's father's records.

By the following afternoon, he found the first meaningful overlap. Richard Knox's investment company had financed one of the contractors accused of inflating invoices on the old Stonebridge project. The investment itself wasn't illegal, but it placed Knox money inside the same network Freya's father had investigated.

Louis studied the records in Northstar's office. "Did Richard know about the inflated invoices?"

"No proof," Derek said. "He could have been an ordinary investor."

"And Marcus?"

"Marcus was too young to have been involved then. But he has access to the family records now."

That distinction mattered. Louis refused to turn an old photograph into an accusation against an entire family.

At home, Freya was less patient. "Clement's family appears in everything."

"Appearing isn't the same as participating," Louis reminded her.

"I know. I just dislike Clement enough to find coincidence personally offensive."

Louis almost smiled.

Freya had another reason to be irritated. Clement had messaged her again, this time pretending concern about rumors surrounding her freelance work. The wording was carefully sympathetic, but Freya recognized the implication: if she needed help, he could introduce her to people.

She showed Louis the message.

His expression cooled. "Block him."

"I could, but then we lose a useful source of stupidity."

"Freya."

"I'm not meeting him. I'm just saying he occasionally reveals what his family thinks."

She replied only, "I'm doing fine. Please don't worry about me."

Clement responded almost immediately: "You don't have to pretend just because Louis is struggling."

Freya held up the phone. "See? Useful stupidity."

Louis took the phone, read the message, and handed it back without comment.

What Clement didn't know was that Northstar had just completed another profitable transaction. Louis was no longer remotely close to struggling, though publicly he still looked like a fallen businessman rebuilding from nothing.

Later, Derek called. "We found something else. Richard Knox invested in Greyline's predecessor company twelve years ago."

Freya's amusement disappeared.

"How much?" Louis asked.

"Enough to make the relationship more than casual."

The old photograph had opened exactly the door they needed.

Freya looked toward the framed childhood picture on the shelf. One image had given her a forgotten memory of Louis. Another had exposed a lie surrounding Knox Group.

"Do we tell Ethan?" she asked.

"Only after Derek verifies everything."

Freya nodded. She had learned by now that in Louis's world, the difference between suspicion and evidence could decide whether a company survived.

And this time, she wanted evidence strong enough that nobody could dismiss what her father had tried to uncover.

That night, Louis asked Freya whether she regretted becoming involved. She considered the question seriously before shaking her head. Her father's records were involved now, which meant walking away would not make the past disappear. More importantly, she no longer saw Louis's fight as something separate from her life. Their problems had become intertwined, just as their families apparently had been long before them.

For now, they chose patience over confrontation. Every new clue was documented, copied, and checked against the growing timeline. The network had survived for years because its connections were difficult to see. Louis and Freya had no intention of warning anyone that those connections were finally becoming visible.