Chapter 10 - The Missing Ledger
The court filing referenced a financial ledger.
Emily had never seen it.
Neither had Daniel.
But Nathan's attorney claimed it proved every property transfer was legitimate.
Emily's attorney immediately requested it.
Nathan refused.
That made the judge suspicious.
The ledger became the center of the case.
Emily spent three days searching through old company archives.
Nothing.
Then Margaret remembered something.
“Your father-in-law used to keep papers at the lake house.”
Emily looked at her.
“Where?”
Margaret gave her the address.
Emily and Daniel drove there together.
The lake house had been empty for months.
Inside, everything was covered in dust.
They searched drawers.
Cabinets.
Closets.
Nothing.
Then Daniel remembered a strange panel in the library.
His father had always told him never to open it.
Daniel removed the panel.
Behind it was a safe.
The combination was his father's birthday.
Inside was a black ledger.
Emily opened it.
Every fraudulent transfer was listed.
Every payment.
Every shell company.
Every signature.
And beside each transaction was one initial.
N.
Nathan.
Daniel stared.
“That's it.”
Emily shook her head.
“Not yet.”
“What do you mean?”
She turned the pages.
Near the end, the handwriting changed.
There was another set of initials.
D.S.
Daniel's face fell.
“No.”
The ledger showed payments made from Daniel's personal account.
But Daniel knew he had never authorized them.
Someone had been moving money through his account too.
Emily looked at him.
“Your brother framed you.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“But why?”
“Because if the company collapsed, you would be blamed.”
Daniel sat down.
“I gave him everything.”
Emily looked at him.
“You gave him trust.”
“And he used it.”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Can you help me?”
Emily was silent.
“You don't owe me anything.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Emily closed the ledger.
“Because justice doesn't require me to become cruel.”
Daniel looked down.
She continued.
“But helping you doesn't mean taking you back.”
“I understand.”
They returned to the city.
That night, Nathan's lawyer called.
“The judge wants the ledger.”
Emily smiled.
“Good.”
But before they could submit it, Daniel received a message.
If the ledger reaches the court, Vanessa disappears.
Daniel froze.
Emily saw the screen.
“What does it say?”
Daniel looked at her.
May you like
“He's threatening her.”
👉 Nathan had lost control of the money, the documents, and the story—but he still believed Vanessa could be his final weapon.
