Chapter nine

CHLOE'S POV

I enlarged the photograph until the image became blurry.

The man standing behind my father wore a silver ring with a dark stone in its centre. I recognised it immediately.

I had seen that ring at breakfast.

My mother wore it.

Not on her finger, but on a chain around her neck. She had inherited it from her father and rarely allowed anyone to touch it.

Could the man in the photograph be my grandfather?

No. He had died years before Isabella disappeared.

I stared at the image again.

The ring was familiar, but perhaps I was remembering it incorrectly.

I checked the anonymous message.

Your father wasn't the only Summers involved that night.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

Who else?

I immediately forwarded the photograph to Victoria.

Me: I need you to identify the man behind my father. Please examine the ring carefully.

Victoria: Where did you get this?

Me: An anonymous sender.

Victoria: Don't delete anything. I'll investigate.

I placed my phone down, but sleep was impossible.

Something had happened at the Ashford Club, and someone was determined to make sure I never discovered it.

---

THE FOLLOWING MORNING

Mother was already dressed when I entered the dining room.

Pearl sat beside her, laughing at something on her phone.

Father was absent.

I poured myself a glass of water.

"Where's Dad?"

Mother glanced at me.

"He's gone to the office."

"Alone?"

She frowned.

"Why are you asking?"

"No reason."

Pearl placed her phone on the table.

"You're acting strangely these days, Chloe. Is everything all right?"

I looked at her.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know. You've been secretive, and now you're spending so much time with the Rourkes."

I smiled faintly.

"Are you interested in Damian?"

Her expression changed.

"What?"

"You keep asking about him. You wanted me to introduce you to him for business purposes, remember?"

Mother intervened.

"Chloe, don't start an argument this morning."

"I'm not arguing."

Pearl laughed nervously.

"I only wanted to meet him because he's an important businessman. Nothing more."

"Of course."

I picked up my handbag.

Before leaving, I turned towards Mother.

"That ring Grandfather gave you. Do you still have it?"

She touched the chain around her neck.

"Why?"

"I was just remembering it."

Her fingers immediately closed around the pendant.

"Of course I still have it."

I studied her expression.

"Can I see it?"

"No."

Her answer came too quickly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"It's valuable, Chloe. I don't want it damaged."

I nodded slowly.

"Understandable."

I left the dining room, but one thought followed me.

Mother had looked frightened.

---

VICTORIA'S OFFICE

Victoria had printed the photograph and placed it beside several old family records.

"You're right about the ring," she said.

I leaned forward.

"What did you discover?"

"Your grandfather owned a similar ring. It was part of a pair he commissioned decades ago."

My stomach tightened.

"A pair?"

"Yes. One was supposedly given to your grandmother, while the other was inherited by your father."

I stared at her.

"My father?"

Victoria nodded.

"According to an old estate inventory, your father received the second ring after your grandfather's death."

I looked at the photograph again.

"Then the man behind him could be wearing my father's ring?"

"Possibly. But I can't confirm the identity from this photograph alone."

I sat back.

"Why would my father and another person wearing his family ring meet Isabella?"

"That's what we need to discover."

Victoria opened another folder.

"I also found a record showing that Richard Summers' company received a substantial payment from an unidentified private account shortly after Isabella disappeared."

"How much?"

"Enough to attract attention. The payment was made through an intermediary company, so tracing its original source will take time."

"Could it have been connected to Isabella?"

"Possibly. But we must not jump to conclusions."

I nodded.

"Find out who made the payment."

Victoria closed the folder.

"Chloe, there's something else. Someone contacted me yesterday asking whether you had access to the original Ashford Club photograph."

I frowned.

"Who?"

"An unknown caller. They claimed to represent a media company, but refused to provide identification."

I stared at her.

"They know we're investigating."

"Yes. And I suspect they're monitoring our movements."

My phone vibrated.

A message from Damian.

The journalist has confirmed the meeting. Three o'clock. I'll have Ethan send you the location.

I showed Victoria.

"Damian has arranged a meeting with the journalist who received the leaked documents."

"Good. Perhaps we'll finally get something useful."

I stood.

"Then I'll see you later."

Victoria looked concerned.

"Be careful, Chloe. The closer you get to the truth, the more desperate someone may become."

---

ROURKE GLOBAL HOLDINGS

Damian was reviewing documents when I entered his office.

He looked up.

"You're early."

"I didn't want to keep you waiting."

He closed the file.

"Did you discover anything about the photograph?"

I explained what Victoria had found about the ring and the payment made to my father's company.

Damian listened without interrupting.

When I finished, he leaned back.

"Your father received money shortly after Isabella disappeared?"

"Yes."

"Do you have the account details?"

"Victoria is investigating."

He rubbed his jaw.

"This may be more connected to my father's death than we initially thought."

"Do you think Isabella's disappearance and Edward's murder were connected?"

"I've considered it for years. My father was convinced Isabella hadn't abandoned him. He believed something terrible had happened."

I looked at him.

"Did he ever tell you about his suspicions?"

Damian shook his head.

"Not directly. I was young, and he didn't want me involved in his problems."

His expression darkened.

"Then he died, and every answer disappeared with him."

For a moment, I saw something beneath his usual confidence.

Pain.

I wanted to reach for his hand, but stopped myself.

Instead, I said, "We'll find out what happened."

He looked at me.

"We?"

I nodded.

"We signed an agreement, Damian. Remember? Our interests are connected."

A small smile touched his lips.

"Of course."

Before he could say anything else, Ethan entered.

"Sir, the journalist has arrived."

Damian stood.

"Let's go."

---

PRIVATE MEETING ROOM

The journalist introduced himself as Daniel Foster.

He looked nervous, repeatedly adjusting his glasses as Damian entered.

"Mr. Hunter," he greeted.

Damian took the seat opposite him.

"You said you had information about my father's murder."

Daniel nodded.

"I do. But before we continue, I need assurances that my identity will remain confidential."

"You're speaking to my legal and communications team. Your identity will be protected within the limits of the law. Now, talk."

Daniel opened his briefcase and removed a small envelope.

"Three weeks before Edward Rourke died, someone approached a journalist at our publication. They offered documents suggesting that Mr. Rourke had been investigating a financial arrangement involving a company connected to the Summers family."

My heart skipped.

"Summers family?" I repeated.

Daniel glanced at me.

"Yes. I believe you're Chloe Summers."

Damian's expression hardened.

"How do you know her?"

"Her name appeared in the documents."

He slid a paper across the table.

I looked down.

It contained the name of my father's company.

Beneath it was another name.

AURELIA HOLDINGS.

"What's this company?" I asked.

Daniel shook his head.

"I don't know. It was mentioned in correspondence recovered from an old archive."

Damian examined the document.

"Why wasn't this information published?"

"Because the source disappeared before the story could be verified. Then Mr. Rourke was murdered."

Silence filled the room.

"Do you have anything else?" Damian asked.

Daniel hesitated.

"There's a photograph."

He removed another paper.

It showed a man leaving the Ashford Club.

His face was clearer than the one in the photograph I had received.

I leaned closer.

My heart nearly stopped.

It was my father.

But beside him stood someone else.

Someone I recognised.

"That's impossible," I whispered.

Damian looked at me.

"Who is it?"

I swallowed.

"It's my mother's brother."

My uncle, Samuel Summers.

He had supposedly moved abroad years ago and rarely contacted our family.

Damian looked towards Daniel.

"Where did you get this?"

Daniel closed his briefcase.

"From the person who leaked the original investigation documents."

"Who is that person?"

"I don't know. But they want to meet you."

Damian's expression became cold.

"Arrange it."

Daniel nodded.

Then he looked at me.

"There's one more thing you should know. The person who gave me the photograph said Isabella Moore was not the only woman who disappeared after that meeting."

My blood ran cold.

"What do you mean?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Someone else vanished shortly afterwards. A woman whose name was connected to the Summers family."

Before I could ask another question, he stood.

"I've told you everything I can for now."

Ethan escorted him out.

I remained seated, staring at the photograph.

My uncle.

My father.

The Ashford Club.

What had my family done?

---

ROURKE MANSION — EVENING

Damian insisted on driving me home.

I hadn't argued.

My thoughts were too occupied with the photograph.

"Your uncle," Damian said as we approached the mansion gates. "When did you last see him?"

"Years ago. I was young. Father said he moved abroad for business."

"Did your mother ever mention him?"

"Not much."

Damian glanced at me.

"Perhaps you should speak to her."

"I tried asking her about the ring this morning. She became defensive."

"Then don't confront her until we know more."

I turned towards him.

"You're asking me to be patient?"

"I'm asking you to be careful."

I looked out of the window.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Damian said quietly, "Chloe, I know this arrangement began as a business agreement, but I don't want you getting hurt because of my family's past."

I met his gaze.

"And I don't want you carrying your father's death alone."

Something changed in his expression.

He reached across the console and briefly covered my hand with his.

Neither of us moved immediately.

Then he withdrew his hand.

"We'll find the truth," he said.

I nodded.

---

SUMMERS ESTATE — LATE NIGHT

I entered the house quietly.

As I approached the staircase, I heard voices coming from Mother's bedroom.

The door was slightly open.

"Samuel was supposed to stay away," Mother whispered.

My steps stopped.

Father answered.

"He has returned, and he's asking questions."

"What about Chloe?"

"She knows too much already."

Mother's voice trembled.

"What if she discovers what happened to Isabella?"

A long silence followed.

Then Father spoke.

"Then we'll have to make sure she never finds out."

I stepped backwards, my heart pounding.

A floorboard creaked beneath my foot.

The voices stopped.

"Who's there?" Father called.

I turned towards the staircase.

But before I could move, my phone vibrated.

An unknown number.

Your mother knows what happened to Isabella. Ask her about the night Samuel came home covered in blood.

I stared at the message.

Then the bedroom door opened.

Mother stood in the hallway.

Her eyes met mine.

And for the first time in my life, she looked at me as though she was afraid of her own daughter.

"Chloe," she whispered.

I slowly lowered my phone.

"Mother," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What happened to Isabella Moore?"

Her lips trembled.

Then she said something that made my blood turn cold.

"She wasn't supposed to disappear."