登入Sean leaned back.The video had not come from Kennedy. It had not come from a journalist who stumbled across forgotten evidence. Someone with access to Meridian’s oldest network had preserved a private recording for twenty seven years, then waited until the precise moment it could cause the most damage.“Whoever sent this knew what my father did before the public did,” Sean said.“And they knew how our current security system handles unknown files.”“They also knew Kennedy would believe I tried to destroy it.”Ethan watched him carefully. “Because they wanted him to push you away.”Sean’s jaw tightened.Why?If the objective was merely to expose Edward, there had been no reason to involve Sean’s audit archive. The video alone would have ruined the Vale family.Someone had added the lie about Sean deliberately. Someone did not want him near Kennedy or Shannon.“Stop investigating the contents of the video,” Sean said. “We already know that part is genuine. Find the person who delivered
A knock sounded before Amelia entered. She found Shannon sitting on the edge of the bed with tears slipping between her fingers. “Was that Sean?”Shannon nodded. “Why didn’t you answer?”“I don’t know what I believe anymore.” Shannon lowered her hands. “Do you believe him?”Amelia hesitated.That hesitation hurt more than an answer.Amelia said. “I know Edward and his wife did terrible things.”“And Sean?”“I don’t know what Sean knew.”Shannon looked down at her phone. “Neither do I.”At the Vale residence, glass shattered against the wall. Mrs. Vale flinched as the decanter broke beside the television. The video continued playing across the screen, muted now, while headlines announced another collapse in Vale Group’s share price.Edward stood amid the broken glass, breathing heavily. “They had no right to release it.”His wife stared at the younger versions of themselves frozen on the screen. “Who recorded us?”“I don’t know.”“That was your private office.”“I know where it was.”“
At Sean’s private office, Ethan finally stopped the automatic deletion and opened the file’s internal data. His expression changed. “What?”Ethan turned the screen towards Sean. “This wasn’t recovered by our audit.”Sean looked at the insertion time.The file had been planted inside their archive less than thirty seconds before it was sent to his phone.Someone had delivered the evidence to him and framed his system’s automatic quarantine as an attempt to destroy it.“Call Kennedy,” Sean said.Ethan did.The call rang once before it was rejected. He tried again. This time, the line did not ring at all. Kennedy had blocked him.Sean grabbed his keys.Ethan stepped into his path. “You cannot go to the estate.”“He will think I tried to destroy evidence if he sees this.”“And if you appear there after he banned you from the property, he’ll believe you’re trying to intimidate them.”Sean stopped, fury and helplessness tearing through him.At the Miles estate, Kennedy called his legal tea
Shannon looked from her mother to Kennedy.Neither moved.Without another word, she picked up her phone and left the room.The days that followed did not make anything better. Kennedy’s freeze remained in place. Vale Group retaliated through injunctions, suspended partnerships and emergency filings. Markets reacted to every rumour, while reporters stationed themselves outside both family estates and turned twenty seven years of betrayal into nightly entertainment.Edward publicly denied any involvement in Shannon’s disappearance or the attack outside the station. He called Kennedy’s actions vindictive and irresponsible but carefully avoided denying the corporate crimes in detail.Sean said nothing publicly.Locked out of Vale Group’s internal systems, he moved the investigation to one of his private offices. Ethan slept on the couch twice, while independent auditors worked through every Meridian file they had copied before the suspension.Sean called Shannon more than once. Some calls
The phone on the table began ringing.Mr. Voss glanced at the screen. “It’s Ethan.”Kennedy answered and placed the call on speaker.“Mr. Miles,” Ethan said. “I’m contacting you on Mr. Vale’s instructions. His independent audit team will provide your investigators with copies of all authenticated Meridian records currently in our possession.”Kennedy’s face hardened. “Why?”“Because they belong to you.”“And what does Sean expect in return?”“Nothing.”“No one gives away evidence capable of destroying his own company for nothing.”“Mr. Vale was offered the restoration of his authority today,” Ethan said. “All he had to do was publicly deny your allegations, support Vale Group’s retaliation and end his relationship with Miss Miles.”Shannon stopped breathing.“He refused,” Ethan continued. “The board upheld his suspension.”Kennedy said nothing.“He also instructed us to continue investigating the payment to Leon Mercer,” Ethan added. “Whatever you believe about him, he did not choose
Edward’s gaze dropped to the documents Ethan had placed on the table.Mrs. Vale moved towards the papers. “What did you make her sign?”“No one made her do anything,” Sean said.Edward picked up the proxy and read the first page. His mouth hardened when he reached Aria’s signature. “She gave you control of her voting rights?”“She gave me permission to protect what belongs to her.”“By helping Kennedy destroy this company?”“By stopping you from destroying what remains of it.”Edward threw the document onto the table. “Her shares do not restore your authority.”“I know.”“Then this changes nothing.”“It changes enough.” Sean looked around the table. “Aria’s vote means you do not have the majority required to remove me permanently. My suspension may prevent me from accessing company accounts, but I remain chief executive until the board completes its investigation.”Several directors shifted uneasily.Edward noticed. “You think delaying the vote will save you?” he asked.“No. I think i
The guest room was at the end of the hall.Shannon paused at the doorway, her fingers resting lightly against the frame before she stepped in.It used to be a storage room now it was neat, cleaned and prepared.A bed, fresh sheets and a wardrobe that looked barely used.Shannon exhaled slowly and s
The hospital discharged them the next day.Shannon didn’t know whether that was fate or cruelty.She stood just outside the building, her fingers gripping the thin discharge papers in her hand as the sunlight hit her face. Too bright. Like the world hadn’t just ended for her.A few steps ahead Rowa
Shannon’s knees weakened beneath her. Three months of silence. Three months of absence. Three months where she wasn’t there. Her breathing grew uneven. Three months where someone else was. Her gaze slowly shifted back to Rowan. And this time she understood. Rowan watched her, something sharp
The first thing Shannon felt was the weight, like her entire body had been dragged beneath something heavy and invisible, pressing her down into a darkness that refused to let her rise.Then came the sound, a slow, steady beep... beep... beep...It echoed from far away at first, distant and unreal,







