Chapter 8: The Truth Hidden in the Dark

The door handle turned slowly.

Avery's fingers tightened around Elliot's arm.

Neither of them spoke.

The room was completely dark.

Only the faint glow of Elliot's phone illuminated the edge of his face.

"Stay behind me," he whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere."

The door suddenly swung open.

A tall figure rushed inside.

Elliot reacted instantly.

He grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it behind his back.

"Who sent you?"

The stranger struggled violently.

"Let me go!"

Avery quickly reached for the emergency flashlight on the desk.

She turned it on.

The bright beam revealed the man's face.

He was wearing a dark jacket and a cap pulled low over his forehead.

Elliot pushed him against the wall.

"Answer me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Avery noticed something sticking out of the man's pocket.

"Elliot, his pocket."

Elliot reached inside and pulled out a small metal case.

Inside were several memory cards.

"Interesting," Elliot murmured.

The man immediately tried to break free.

Elliot tightened his grip.

"Marcus is on his way," he said.

"You'll have plenty of time to explain everything."

Minutes later, Marcus arrived with two security officers.

The stranger was escorted away.

Avery exhaled slowly.

"That could have ended badly."

"Are you alright?" Elliot asked.

"Yes."

"You?"

"I'm fine."

He looked at her carefully.

"You were brave."

"I was terrified."

"You didn't act like it."

Avery smiled faintly.

"Maybe I was trying not to embarrass myself in front of my husband."

For the first time that night, Elliot laughed.

The sound was quiet but genuine.

Avery stared at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"I just don't think I've heard you laugh before."

"Neither have I... lately."

The tension in the room eased slightly.

The next morning, Marcus brought the memory cards to Elliot.

"We've recovered the files."

"Most are encrypted."

"Can you open them?"

"Our technicians are working on it."

Avery sat beside Elliot.

"What about the man?"

"He refuses to speak."

"His identity?"

"Former employee of your father's company."

Avery's expression changed.

"Do you know his name?"

"Daniel Cross."

"I remember him."

"He worked in accounting."

"My father trusted him."

Elliot looked at the file.

"Then he may know where the missing money went."

A few hours later, one of the encrypted files was finally opened.

Marcus entered Elliot's office carrying a laptop.

"Sir, we found something."

"What?"

"A video file."

He played it.

Avery immediately recognized the room.

It was her father's office.

The video showed two men meeting late at night.

One of them was Daniel Cross.

The other...

Avery's breath caught.

"That's impossible."

Elliot looked at the screen.

"You know him?"

"Yes."

"He's one of the Foster family's senior financial advisers."

The room fell silent.

The video continued.

Daniel handed the other man a folder.

"The Tate company will collapse within months," Daniel said.

"Once the loans are called in, everything will be ours."

"And what about Mr. Tate?"

"He'll be too busy dealing with his illness."

"His daughter?"

"Avery is irrelevant."

Avery felt sick.

Her entire family's downfall had been planned.

Her father's illness.

The company's bankruptcy.

Everything.

Elliot paused the video.

"We need to know who that adviser reports to."

"I can find out," Marcus said.

Before he could leave, another file opened automatically.

This time, the image showed a document.

At the bottom was a signature.

Cole Foster.

Avery stared at it in horror.

"Cole..."

Elliot's eyes hardened.

"Your ex-boyfriend may be involved."

"I thought he only wanted my father's money."

"This looks bigger than that."

"Much bigger."

That evening, Elliot confronted Cole at the Foster estate.

Cole looked surprised to see him standing there.

"Uncle, what's this about?"

Elliot placed copies of the evidence on the table.

"Explain this."

Cole's face changed.

He looked at the documents.

Then at Elliot.

"I can explain."

"Then start talking."

"You have five minutes."

Cole swallowed hard.

"I never intended for your accident to happen."

The room went silent.

Avery felt her blood run cold.

"What did you just say?" Elliot asked.

"I didn't cause your crash."

"But I knew about the plan."

"And you said nothing?"

Cole lowered his head.

"I was scared."

"Who was behind it?"

Cole looked toward the door.

"Someone much more powerful than me."

"Who?"

"Your father's old business partner."

"He wanted control of Foster Holdings."

"And he used your accident to put the company in chaos."

Elliot's expression became deadly calm.

"Give me a name."

Cole hesitated.

Then he whispered one.

Elliot's eyes narrowed.

The man responsible was someone who had attended every Foster family gathering for years.

Someone they had trusted completely.

Someone who had known exactly how vulnerable Elliot would be after the accident.

And now...

That person knew Elliot was awake.