Chapter 10

Rihanna POV

The voice outside made every muscle in my body tense. My mother grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the staircase. “Upstairs,” she whispered, but I shook my head. “I'm not hiding again.” She stared at me as another heavy knock struck the door. “Rihanna, you don't understand who they are.” I pulled my arm free. “Then tell me before they break your door down.” Her eyes filled with fear. “If they find you here, they won't stop.”

I moved toward the hallway instead. My mother followed quickly behind me. “There has to be another exit,” I said. “There is one through the kitchen.” We hurried toward it while the front door shook again. Whoever stood outside wasn't interested in knocking politely anymore. I opened the kitchen door and found a narrow passage leading toward the back garden. “Go,” my mother whispered. “I'll follow you.” I stopped and looked at her. “No, you won't.” She frowned. “What do you mean?” I handed her my phone. “Call Sylas and stay inside.”

She immediately understood what I was planning. “Absolutely not.” I gave her a cold smile. “You raised me to be stubborn.” She almost laughed despite herself. “I was hoping you had grown out of that.” “Sorry, that's not happening.” I slipped through the back door before she could argue. The rain had become heavier, soaking my coat within seconds. I moved along the garden wall and crouched behind a stone structure near the neighboring property. From there, I could see the front entrance.

Three black vehicles were parked outside. Four men stood near the townhouse. None of them looked like ordinary visitors.

I touched the earpiece hidden beneath my hair. “Sylas.” His voice came immediately. “I'm listening.” “I need you in Mayfair.” There was a brief pause. “How much trouble?” “Enough.” I gave him the location and watched the men outside. One of them finally forced the door open. My mother disappeared from view. I clenched my fists. “Get there quickly.” Sylas answered without hesitation. “I'm already moving.”

I watched the men enter the townhouse. They spread through the rooms like they knew the building. That detail bothered me. They weren't searching randomly. They knew where to look. One man headed upstairs while another moved toward the kitchen. Someone had given them information about the house. Someone close to my mother. Someone who knew I would come here. A black sedan suddenly stopped near the corner. Sylas stepped out. Two security officers followed him.

The men inside noticed immediately. One rushed back outside and shouted something. Sylas raised his hand, and his security team moved forward. Nobody fired a weapon. Nobody needed to. The men realized they had lost their advantage and retreated toward the vehicles. Within seconds, the cars sped away through the wet street.

I stepped from behind the wall. Sylas looked at me with obvious irritation. You really enjoy making my job difficult. “I thought you liked challenges.”

“Not when you disappear into dangerous situations without warning.” I smiled slightly. “Good to see you too.” He shook his head and followed me inside.

My mother was standing near the staircase. She looked shaken but unharmed. I walked toward her. “Who were they?” She looked at Sylas before answering. “I don't know.” I stared at her. “Mom, enough.” She sighed. “They work for your father.” The room became silent. Sylas looked at me.

“You're sure?” My mother nodded. “They have been searching for him for years.” I folded my arms. “Then why were they searching this house?” “They weren't searching for him.” She looked directly at me.

“They were searching for you.” I felt a strange chill move through me. “Why would my father send people after me?” “He didn't. I frowned. “Then who did?” My mother walked toward the table and sat down. “People who want to find your father.” I stared at her. “That makes no sense.” “It does if they believe you can lead them to him.” I laughed quietly. “I've never even met the man.”

“You don't need to remember him.” She looked at me sadly, “He remembers you.” That sentence stayed with me as we left the townhouse.

Back at the hotel, I refused to sit quietly. I needed answers, and I needed them now. I paced across the suite while Sylas reviewed the security footage from Mayfair. The attackers had covered their faces, but their movements revealed something useful. They had entered through the front door because they expected my mother to be alone.

“They knew you were coming,” Sylas said. “I know.” He paused the footage.

“There's something else.” He pointed toward the screen. A man had remained inside one of the vehicles. He never entered the townhouse. He simply watched. “Can you identify him?” I asked. “Not yet.” “Then find him.” Sylas nodded. My mother sat quietly nearby. I turned toward her. “Tell me about my father.” She looked down. “His name is Nathaniel Taylor.” I had heard the name once before, years ago.

My grandfather had mentioned it during an argument with my mother. I had been too young to understand. “What happened between him and Alistair?” My mother took a slow breath. “They disagreed about the future of Taylor Global.” “That sounds harmless.” “It wasn't.” She looked toward the window.

“Your father believed the company was becoming too powerful. He wanted to divide the empire and give control to several independent trusts.”

“And Alistair refused.” “Yes.” “So they fought over money.” “Not exactly.” Her voice became quieter. “Your father discovered something about the company's finances.” I leaned forward.

“What did he discover?” “Money was being moved through private accounts.” “Whose accounts?” “Sterling accounts.” My eyes narrowed. “Arthur?”

“Yes.” I stood, “So Arthur and my father were connected before Edrian and I even met.” “They were business partners.” “Then why did Arthur hate me?” My mother looked at me. “Because he knew who your father was.” I stared at her. “What does that have to do with me?” “Everything.” She took a shaky breath. “Your father wanted to expose Arthur. Alistair stopped him.”

“Why?” “Because exposing Arthur would have destroyed Taylor Global too.” I slowly shook my head. “So everyone chose money.” My mother didn't deny it. That answer hurt more than anything else. I walked toward the window.

For years, I had blamed Edrian for ruining my life. Then I blamed Valerie. Then Arthur. Now I was beginning to understand that the story had started long before any of them. My phone suddenly rang. This time, it was Edrian.

I stared at his name. Sylas looked at me. “Are you answering?” “Yes.” I accepted the call. “What do you want?” His voice sounded different. Not confident. Not arrogant. “Rihanna, where are you?” “That isn't your business.”

“I need to talk to you.” “You had five years to talk.” “I know.” His voice cracked slightly. “I made mistakes.” I almost laughed. “That's one way to describe it.” “Please.” The word caught me off guard. Edrian rarely begged. “What happened?” “I found something.” My expression changed. “What?”

“Arthur has been moving money through Sterling subsidiaries for years.” I looked at my mother. She immediately understood, “How did you find that?” “I confronted him.” “And?” “He told me to stay out of it.” I leaned against the table. “Why are you telling me?” “Because the money connects to Taylor Global.” Silence followed. Edrian continued. “I think our families have been hiding something from both of us.” I closed my eyes.

For once, he wasn't talking about Valerie. He wasn't asking me to come back. He wasn't begging for forgiveness. He was giving me information. “Send me everything you found,” I said. “I will.” The call ended. My mother looked worried. “Don't trust him.” “I don't.” “Then why listen?” “Because even a liar can tell the truth sometimes.” Sylas gave me a knowing look. I opened my laptop and waited for Edrian's files. A few minutes later, they arrived.

The records showed payments between Sterling subsidiaries and an offshore company called Blackridge Holdings.

I searched the company. The registered owner was hidden. Then Sylas searched deeper. His expression changed.

“What?” He turned the screen toward me. Blackridge Holdings wasn't owned by Arthur. It wasn't owned by Alistair either. The company belonged to someone using the name Nathaniel Taylor. My father. I stared at the screen. My mother covered her mouth.

Sylas immediately started searching again. Then he stopped. “What did you find?” I asked. He looked at me carefully. “Blackridge Holdings made its final transaction three days ago.” My heart began pounding. “To whom?" Sylas turned the screen toward me.

The payment had gone to a private account in New York. The account belonged to one person. Edrian Sterling. I stared at the name. My mind raced through everything.

Edrian had just told me about the money. He had known where to look and had somehow received money from my father's company. And now he was calling me for help.

I slowly stood. “Get me back to New York. Sylas looked surprised. “Why?” I picked up my coat. “Because Edrian isn't the only person hiding something.” My mother stood “Rihanna, what are you thinking?”

I looked at her, “I'm thinking my ex-husband just became connected to my missing father.” I walked toward the door, “and I'm going to find out why.”