Chapter 83: Victor Disappears

Victor Shaw's disappearance immediately changed the investigation. Derek confirmed he had canceled two appointments without explanation. His passport hadn't been used at any airport, but a private vehicle registered to one of his companies had left the city that afternoon.

Louis met Derek at Northstar's office.

"Did we alert him?"

"Possibly. Samuel's meeting with Daniel may have been noticed. Or Eleanor's meeting with us."

Ethan joined by secure call. Hale's investigators had also lost track of Victor.

"If he's running, that's practically an admission," Ethan said.

Louis disagreed. "Or someone wants us to think he's running."

They checked Victor's office. Nothing obviously illegal remained. Several old files were missing, but the removals had been orderly rather than panicked.

Then Derek found a message Victor had sent to an unused email address shortly before disappearing.

The subject contained only one word: ANCHOR.

The message itself was encrypted.

Samuel couldn't decode it.

"Who owns the address?" Louis asked.

"We're tracing it."

At home, Freya couldn't concentrate on writing. The unfinished conversation with Louis remained in her mind, but Victor's disappearance gave her another fear.

What if he knew about her father's files?

She checked the backups twice.

Louis returned after midnight.

Freya was still awake.

"Any news?"

"No confirmed location."

She handed him reheated soup.

For several minutes, neither mentioned what they had been discussing before Derek's call.

Finally Louis said, "I haven't forgotten."

Freya sighed. "I know."

"I'm not asking tonight."

She looked at him.

"You look exhausted," he added.

Freya almost laughed. "You're the one chasing a missing conspirator at midnight."

"And you're the one who looked terrified when I asked about your notebook."

There was no accusation in his voice.

Freya sat opposite him. "Louis, if I tell you, things might become strange between us."

"Things between us have been strange for months."

That made her laugh despite herself.

He finished the soup.

Before going to his room, Louis stopped. "Whatever the explanation is, it doesn't change what you've done since the day you decided to stay."

Freya stared at him.

Then he left.

She remained at the table long afterward.

Louis had unknowingly touched the exact fear preventing her confession. If she told him she wasn't truly his original wife, would everything they had built become fraudulent?

His words suggested otherwise.

Meanwhile, Derek finally traced the encrypted email account.

It had been created years earlier using administrative credentials connected to Ashford Holdings.

The Stone family's own company.

Victor hadn't disappeared away from the mystery.

He had disappeared deeper into it.

Before sleeping, Freya checked the front door twice. Louis noticed but didn't tease her. Victor's disappearance had reminded them that the investigation was no longer merely historical. Someone connected to the old network was moving now, reacting to pressure. Whatever came next, they needed to assume the other side had finally realized the past was being uncovered.

The next step could wait until morning. Too many things had changed at once, and neither of them wanted to make another decision simply because uncertainty was uncomfortable. They had learned that patience often revealed more than pressure ever could.