Chapter 9 - The Man Behind the Door
Lorenzo opened the door slowly.
Nobody stood outside.
The hallway was empty.
But the wooden box was gone.
Clara's eyes moved to the window.
Open.
Fresh rain had blown across the floor.
“He came through there.”
Lorenzo checked the balcony.
No one.
Then Clara noticed something near the window.
A gold button.
Not from a tuxedo.
From a security uniform.
She picked it up.
“Your security team.”
Lorenzo's expression darkened.
Only six people had access to this floor.
He called his head of security.
Marco arrived within minutes.
He looked at the button.
Then at Lorenzo.
“That isn't ours.”
Clara watched him carefully.
“Then whose?”
Marco hesitated.
“Private contractors.”
“Which company?”
“Northstar.”
Lorenzo went still.
The thief had been working for the same company connected to Martin Vale.
Clara finally saw the pattern.
Richard had controlled the money.
Northstar had acquired the properties.
But Martin's name kept appearing behind both.
She opened her laptop.
“I need access to the old corporate registry.”
Marco looked at Lorenzo.
“That's dangerous.”
Lorenzo replied, “So is letting them continue.”
They searched for Martin Vale.
His official death record appeared.
Then Clara found something buried in an old filing.
A corporate director with the initials M.V.
The registration had been updated only eighteen months ago.
Clara whispered, “He's alive.”
Lorenzo stared at the screen.
“Where?”
“New York.”
“Name?”
Clara clicked.
The record opened.
Martin Vale was operating under a different surname.
Before Clara could read it, the screen went black.
Someone had remotely shut down the computer.
A message appeared.
STOP LOOKING.
Then another.
OR THE WOMAN IN GREEN WILL BE NEXT.
Lorenzo's face changed.
Clara looked at him.
“They're threatening me.”
“No.”
May you like
He reached for her hand.
“They're threatening the wrong man.”
