Chapter Twelve

That name VICTOR KNIGHT altered the entire aura in the room. The entire atmosphere was tense. It was just as if the name zapped all their energy as no one moved or said anything for almost one minute.

Who is Victor Knight? Emiiy asked in a confused tone. “Ryan answer me, I said who is Victor?” “Stop all this pretense, I am sure you know who he is.” Ryan replied her. “The only Knight I know is Damian Knight, who comes from a very powerful family, who is also trying to overtake Carter Holdings.” She responded as she moved nearer. Ryan told her that Victor Knight is Damian's uncle, and she asked him why would his uncle call him and demand that she stop digging for information.

“We have to get out of this place.” Ryan said, as he gazed at the broken lock. “Emily,we have to leave this place now.”

“Stop asking me to leave this place without answering my questions.” She said as her gaze grew cold. Ryan told her that there is no time for much explanation and he picked up his coat which he dropped on one of Emily's unpacked boxes.

“Hear me out, Emily. There are people you don't disobey, and Victor is one of them. Everyone who has ever fought him lost.”

Sophia got up and said “Is that supposed to scare her?” Emily lifted up the documents of the trust that Sophia gave her and said, “The fact that he thinks he can bully me into cowardice, is the main reason I should keep digging up more information.”

Ryan could not believe what she just said. “You don't get it,” he said. “I get it very clearly,” Emiiy responded.

“She flipped the page that had the doctored signature and said, “Somebody doctored my signature and stole over 18 million dollars from the trust fund I had no idea existed. Why does Victor want me to quit looking for information?” “I need more answers,” she added. Sophia nodded in agreement and said, “We have to find somewhere that you can clear your head.”

Ryan gets excited as he moves to the door and promised Emily that he would provide security. “I don't need anything from you or anyone else from the Carter family” Emiiy stopped him. Those words that Emiiy said to him pierced him like a knife. Emiiy noticed that she hurt his feelings, and for the first time since the affair, she regretted hurting his feelings.

Immediately, her mind went to what happened in the hotel suite. She thought of Vanessa and the whole thing that transpired. And that remorse she felt, fled out of the window.

Emily picked some of her stuff and told Sophia, “let out leave this place.” As soon as they walked out of the door, Ryan joined them. As soon as Emiiy looked back and saw him, she asked “where are you going?” “I am not going with you. I am going back to my office. There are still things I need to put in place.” Emily gazed at him for a moment and said “take care of yourself.” Ryan smiled slightly in disbelief and said “Take care of yourself as well,” and went away. As Ryan walked away, Emiiy noticed something had changed in him, and it worried her. Ryan looked truly scared.

Emily rode in Sophia's car with her. She asked “Where are we going?” Because Sophia was driving really fast. 

“I am taking you to my office because your new house is no longer safe for you.’’

Emily brought out the documents again. “18 million dollars.” Who did this to me.” “Who had access to this?’’  “I don't have that information at the moment but trust me, I am going to find out.” Sophia told her that two years ago, the whole money was withdrawn four separate times.”

Emiiy began to wonder if Ryan could be the one that did this to her: because two years ago, she was still newly married to him. Sophia hesitated before answering “I am not certain.”

Emiiy looked out of the car window and asked Sophia if there is a slim chance that Ryan could be innocent. Sophia answered and told her that everybody is a suspect at this point.

They sat in silence for a moment while Emiiy was looking out of the window. That silence was interrupted by a text message from an anonymous person. Emily checked the message and it says. “Stop asking the wrong questions.”

Another message shortly followed: “Ask about what your mom knew.”

Emiiy's heart was not beating fast. Sophia looked at her and asked what it was. Emily gave her the phone to read it by herself

As soon as she read it, another message came in. “She never died trying to find out the truth.”

Sophia slowed her driving pace. Shortly, another message came in. It was an attachment, a picture of her mom standing outside an unknown building with a file in her hand. Victor Knight was also standing next to her. This time, Emily was not scared. She was just worried that her mother knew who Victor was. As she magnified the image, she noticed that Project Eclipse was written on the file that her mother was holding. She asked Sophia what it was, but Sophia had no idea. Emiiy's cellphone buzzed again but this time, it was a phone call from Damian. She picked it up immediately. With a strong voice, Damian asked “Where are you? I guess you are with Sophia” Emiiy answered yes. “I have been trying to contact you. I know you have been going through a lot.” Damian told her. Emiiy asked how he knew about what had happened. But Damian did not answer. “Did anyone reach out to you?’’ Emily turned and gazed at Sophia and answered ”yes.” Damian asked who reached out and she told him, “your uncle, Victor.” Damian immediately became silent. “Damian, Damian.” Emiiy yelled his name. “What did he say to you?” “Tell me what he said.”

Emiiy told Damian everything but Damian could not say afterwards. She asked him what project eclipse is, but he was still silent. “Please stop talking about project eclipse, I beg you.” Emily's gaze sharpened. “Why, if I may ask?”

“Hmm, you really have no idea who you are dealing with.” “Why does everybody keep saying that?” 

“I am serious, Emily.” And he dropped the call.

“Damian Knight just dropped the call on you?” Sophia asked as she looked at her. “Yes, he did.” she replied as she angrily gazed at the picture.

On the other side of the city, Damian paced across his office. Without knocking, Ethan barged in. “What is bothering you?” He asked. Damian turned and asked him if he knew that Victor reached out to Emily. He said no and went ahead to ask for the details of their conversation.

“It is inconsequential.” “Then why do you look so worried?” Ethan asked. “He sent Emily a photograph of her mother and him, the picture was taken three days before they died.”  Ethan stood still and gazed at Damian. “The picture also contained a folder that was boldly written Project Eclipse. Ethan went into complete shock and none of them said anything for a moment. “Was that project not destroyed,” Ethan asked gently. “I thought it was as well,” Damian responded.

Damian asked Ethan to call security and request for all the records of that project but Ethan hesitated. “You know if Victor is entangled, it is no longer about Carter Holdings alone.” Ethan reminded him. And Damian said I know. Immediately, Damian's phone beeped as a text message from an anonymous source came in. When Damian opened it, he saw a picture of Emily stepping out of Sophia's car. It suggested that the picture was snapped seconds ago. The sender sent another message that said. “Why did you not leave Emiiy alone? She is not the one we are looking for.” Then another picture came in. A picture of Emily's mother and father standing next to Damian's mother and father. Victor was smiling behind them. The time stamp from the image revealed that it was taken just the night before both families were taken down.