Chapter 9: The Man Behind the Betrayal

Cole sat silently in the Foster family's private study.

His face had lost all color.

Avery stood beside Elliot, staring at him with disbelief.

The man who had once promised to love her forever now looked like someone she barely recognized.

"Say his name," Elliot ordered.

Cole swallowed hard.

"Richard Hale."

Elliot's expression became cold.

Richard Hale.

His father's former business partner.

A man who had worked beside the Foster family for more than fifteen years.

A man Elliot had once trusted with confidential contracts worth billions.

"You're saying Richard planned my accident?"

"Yes," Cole whispered.

"He wanted you removed permanently."

"And while you were unconscious, he planned to gain control of Foster Holdings."

Avery frowned.

"What does my father's company have to do with him?"

Cole looked at her.

"Your father's company wasn't supposed to collapse naturally."

"Richard arranged the financial pressure."

"He used several shell companies to purchase your father's debts."

"Then he manipulated the lenders into demanding immediate repayment."

Avery felt sick.

Everything that had happened to her family suddenly connected.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why destroy my father's company?"

"Because your father discovered what Richard was doing."

"Your father was investigating suspicious transfers between his company and one of Richard's private accounts."

"Before he could expose him, Richard moved first."

Avery's hands trembled.

"So my father's illness..."

"Was convenient," Cole replied quietly.

"Richard knew your father wouldn't be able to fight back once he was hospitalized."

Elliot's jaw tightened.

"And what about my accident?"

"Richard believed you were the last obstacle."

"If you died, the board would be easier to control."

Silence filled the room.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Elliot turned toward Cole.

"Why did you know all this?"

Cole lowered his head.

"Because Richard used me."

"He promised me a position inside Foster Holdings."

"He told me that once you were gone, I'd have a future in the company."

"And you believed him."

"Yes."

Avery stared at Cole.

"You helped him ruin my family."

"I didn't know everything."

"You knew enough."

Cole had no answer.

Avery turned away from him.

"I spent three years thinking you loved me."

"You didn't even see me as a person."

"You saw me as an opportunity."

Cole's eyes filled with regret.

"Avery, I'm sorry."

"Please..."

"Don't," she interrupted.

"I don't want your apology."

"I want you to tell the truth."

Cole nodded weakly.

"I'll testify."

Elliot looked at him sharply.

"You'll do more than testify."

"You'll turn over every message, payment record, and document Richard gave you."

"Everything."

"I will."

Cole slowly stood.

"There's one more thing."

Elliot's gaze hardened.

"What?"

"Richard knows you're awake."

"He found out about your recovery two weeks ago."

"Then why hasn't he acted?"

"Because he doesn't know how much you remember."

Elliot's eyes narrowed.

"And now he knows we're investigating."

Cole nodded.

"Yes."

Before anyone could say more, Elliot's phone rang.

The caller ID showed Marcus.

"Answer it," Avery said quietly.

Elliot accepted the call.

"What happened?"

Marcus's voice was urgent.

"Sir, we've got a problem."

"Several company accounts were accessed remotely."

"Someone is deleting files."

Elliot immediately stood.

"Which accounts?"

"The old accident investigation records."

"And the Tate bankruptcy documents."

Avery's eyes widened.

"They're destroying the evidence."

"Not all of it," Marcus replied.

"I copied what I could."

"But whoever is doing this has internal access."

Elliot looked at Avery.

"Then we have a traitor inside the company."

He ended the call.

The room suddenly felt colder.

"What do we do now?" Avery asked.

"We stop reacting to him."

"We make him react to us."

Elliot picked up his phone again.

"Marcus, activate the internal security protocol."

"Freeze every suspicious account."

"And quietly lock down Richard Hale's access."

"Yes, sir."

"But don't alert him yet."

"Understood."

Avery looked at Elliot.

"You're going after him."

"He's already coming after us."

"There's a difference."

She nodded.

"Then I'm helping."

Elliot's expression softened slightly.

"I don't want you involved in the dangerous part."

"You already told me to stay close to you."

"I'm staying."

He looked at her for several seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Alright."

Later that night, the Foster mansion became unusually quiet.

Security guards surrounded the property.

Every entrance was monitored.

Every phone call was recorded.

Avery stood on the balcony outside their room.

Elliot joined her a few minutes later.

"You should sleep," he said.

"I can't."

"Neither can I."

They stood side by side beneath the night sky.

"Avery," Elliot said quietly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry you were dragged into all of this."

"I chose this marriage."

"Yes."

"But you didn't choose this danger."

Avery looked at him.

"Neither did you."

"We're in it together now."

Elliot's eyes softened.

He wanted to say something more.

Instead, he simply reached for her hand.

Avery let him hold it.

For several quiet seconds, neither moved.

Then Elliot said softly,

"I don't know what I would have done if I woke up and you weren't here."

Avery's heart skipped.

"You would've survived."

"Maybe."

"But I think I would've hated waking up."

She looked at him in surprise.

"Why?"

"Because I would've had no reason to believe the world had changed for the better."

Avery didn't know how to respond.

So she simply squeezed his hand.

Neither noticed the small red light blinking inside a camera hidden across the garden.

Someone was watching them.

And someone was listening to every word.

The next morning...

A black car stopped outside Richard Hale's private residence.

A man stepped out and made one phone call.

"Mr. Hale," he said.

"The Foster family knows."

There was a long pause.

"How much?" Richard asked.

"Enough to become dangerous."

Richard's expression hardened.

"Then we don't have time anymore."

"What do you want us to do?"

Richard looked toward the city skyline.

"Finish what we started."