Chapter Five

Kate returned to the penthouse the next morning in the hope of finding the box that was in the photograph. She felt it could be the key to her revenge. She stepped into the building under the guise of misplacing her purse which needed to be found.

Michael was in the hall, watching TV. He hadn't had a good sleep after Kate left. 

“I'm sorry about how I reacted last night,” Kate started. “I let the pressure of the deal you asked me to secure get to me. Business should not be mixed with…anything else.”

Michael stepped forward, “I don't think you ran because of pressure. You had something else in mind—something that was bothering you.”

Kate’s eyes met his, her heart pounded fast, “I just think we should focus on the impending deal you've tasked me with. Now, here’s another angle I'm looking at…”

She launched into a detailed discussion of the merger, forcing him to engage with her on a purely intellectual level. While he was distracted, she scanned the room. The photo she saw yesterday was gone.

“I saw a nice photograph yesterday, but I can't find it anymore. Have you thrown it away?” Kate asked in a casual manner, pointing at the space.

Michael blinks, “Oh that photograph, I had my housekeeper remove it. Why?”

“Nothing,” Kate answers. “Let’s continue.”

Kate knew Michael was lying. He had removed it because he saw that it was the object of distraction during yesterday’s intense moment.

Michael received a call. He turned away and walked towards a different room. Kate saw it as a chance to get her hands on the box. Her instincts led her into his master bedroom. She found the photo in a drawer. She scanned the photo again. The wall in the photo revealed a compartment—a safe perhaps. It was in Michael’s office.

She slipped into Michael’s office, sat in his chair, and switched on his computer. With the skills she had honed from her training, she easily bypassed the security, diving into the archives of Curry Industries. 

She found a file that contained a detailed map of the company takeover. The details were brutal: Michael had used a loophole to seize control, claiming her father's assets to cover the alleged fraud. But then, she found a second, smaller file, a hidden ledger that detailed a series of offshore accounts. These accounts were not part of the company's assets. They were private, and they were funded by Michael, transferred in small, untraceable amounts to a single beneficiary: Jane Blackwood.

Her breath hitched. Michael didn't just steal everything, he protected her father's wealth, funneling it to her under a shell corporation. He had ensured she would never be destitute. This complicated everything. Michael didn't just betray, he protected her in silence although he never knew where she went after the disaster. 

Later that day, Kate decided to test Michael. “There are rumors that you acquired Blackwood Industries under dubious means,” she started.

Michael’s jaw tightened, “Mr. Blackwood made some mistakes that I had to clean up. He did things that required my intervention. I wasn't a snitch. The police had found him out. Someone might have alerted them to some of his wrongdoings. That's the truth.” His answer was so convincing. Kate’s brows folded, her eyes rolled, and her fingers were shaking.

The expression on his face after the answer left Kate in a confused state. Kate tried to shake off the conflict in her head. She needed to find the final piece to determine the truth—the box. She located the faint line on the wall, pressed the sequence she had guessed from her father's old birthday, and the wall slid open, revealing a small, dusty safe.

Inside, she found the document she had dreaded and hoped for. It was a signed confession from her father, admitting to the fraud. Michael hadn't lied. Her father was guilty.

The note read: “I know I have made some terrible mistakes but I don't want my daughter to find out. Shield her. Be the villain, take the blame. It's an impossible request, but it's my final one as well. You're the only one I can trust.”

Kate broke down in tears. The man she had trained to destroy was the one her father trusted most. The man she was falling in love with was the man who had sacrificed his reputation, his friendship, and his peace to keep her safe.

The door to the office creaked open. Michael stepped in, his expression was unreadable. “What are you doing here, Kate? 

She was exposed, her plan had been ripped to shreds. The man whom she thought was her enemy stood before her demanding the truth. She wiped her tears, stood up, and looked for exits.