CHAPTER 69.
Kate and Tina arrived at the address Mr. Howard sent earlier. It was the older part of town where the buildings leaned with age and the streetlights flickered like they had seen better days.
"This place looks… abandoned," Tina murmured, eyeing the cracked pavement and the peeling paint on the doors.
Kate's grip tightened on her bag. "Stay close."
Kate knocked. Once. Twice.
The door creaked open, revealing a tall man in a dark suit, his hair neatly combed back. His sharp eyes scanned them both before settling on Kate.
"You came," he said in a low voice. "Good. Come inside. We don't have much time."
The interior was dim, lit only by a desk lamp in the far corner. Papers were spread across an old wooden table — documents, photographs, and what looked like scanned copies of contracts.
Kate sat cautiously, Tina hovering just behind her.
Mr. Howard slid a folder toward Kate. "These were hidden in your father's private archive. They were never meant to see the light of day… especially not in Carlos's hands."
"Why didn't you tell me all this while?"
"Because your uncle made sure of that." The man's voice dropped to barely above a whisper.
Kate opened the files on the table — her breath catching at the sight of a familiar signature.
"My father's…" She touched the page, but something felt wrong.
"That document," Howard said, "is dated three weeks after your father's reported death."
Kate froze.
Tina leaned over her shoulder. "That's impossible."
Howard nodded grimly. "Which means one of two things: either your father was alive long after they claimed… or someone has been forging his name to cover something much bigger."
Kate's throat tightened. "Carlos."
Howard's eyes hardened. "And he wasn't acting alone. There's a name that keeps appearing alongside his in the records — Donovan."
Kate felt her hands tremble. The edges of the truth were finally showing, jagged and dangerous.
Howard leaned closer. "Your father's death wasn't an accident. And if you keep digging, you might uncover exactly what they killed to protect."
Kate's voice was barely a whisper. "My father… might have been murdered."
"There's something you should listen to." Mr Howard brought out a small phone from his bag and played the recorded audio of his meeting with the SE.
"Who's this?"
"The people your uncle is working with. You have to be careful Kate. They will strike anytime soon."
"Can I have the record please?"
"Sure… I'll send it to you."
"Thank you. We will leave now."
"Okay…. I'll call you if there's anything else."
__
In the car,
"So… what are you going to do now?" Tina finally asked, her tone lined with concern. "Are you still going through with your plan?"
Kate's gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead. "Yeah. I'm going to expose every rotten thing he's done and make sure the whole world sees him for what he really is." Her voice carried a hard edge of determination. "But… that record, the voice…"
Tina glanced at her. "What about it?"
"It sounded familiar," Kate said slowly, as if weighing each word. "Like I've heard it before."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. A long time ago, but… the tone, the way he spoke… it's still ringing in my head."
Tina exhaled, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Well, we'll find out soon enough. But you need to tell William about this. All of it."
"I will," Kate said, finally turning to meet her friend's eyes. "For now… you should drive. I don't think I can focus right now."
"No problem," Tina replied, starting the car toward home.
__
By the time they pulled into the driveway, Kate's chest felt heavy, like the air itself had thickened around her. The moment she stepped inside, she went straight to William's study.
He was behind his desk, sleeves rolled up, going through a stack of documents. His eyes lifted immediately at the sound of the door opening.
"You look pale," he said, setting the papers aside. "What happened?"
Kate didn't waste time. "I got a call from a man named Mr. Howard. He said he was my father's lawyer. He warned me to be careful around Uncle Carlos — that he's not working alone." She hesitated, rushing her words, her voice trembling slightly. "He said they're after you… me… and the baby."
William's jaw tightened. "And you believed him?"
"I don't know yet. But… he sent me an address. He wants to meet."
"Absolutely not. Not without me there," William said sharply.
"I've met him already."
"You did?"
Kate nodded faintly.
"And you didn't bother to tell me before going."
"I didn't want to disturb you."
"So what did he say?"
"He showed me some documents that were dated three weeks after my father's reported death."
Willam's eyebrows lifted then drew together. "That's not possible."
"So I thought…There's more, he played a recording — a conversation he had with a man he claimed my uncle works with. The man's voice. I couldn't place it right away, but it feels… familiar. Like something from years ago."
William leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "Familiar how?"
"Yeah."
"Do you have the record?"
"I told Mr Howard to send it to me but I haven't received it."
"Okay… let me know when you receive it."
"Have you heard from Jeremy?"
"Yes. Mr Hemsworth did the publication."
"What!"
"I'm very sure he didn't do it alone. Someone must have persuaded him."
"Who do you think is behind it?"
"Just one person. Your uncle."
Kate's hands curled into fists. "He's doing too much now."
William's gaze hardened, his voice low and cold. "Then it's time we do more."
__
The next day.
William slammed the door to Mr. Hemsworth's office so hard it rattled against the wall. He strode in, every step measured but heavy with restrained fury, eyes sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Mr. Dray—"
"Who made you do it?" William cut him off, his tone a blade.
Hemsworth blinked. "I'm not sure I understand—"
"Don't you dare play dumb," William snapped, slamming his fist down on the desk hard enough to make the pens rattle. "Who gave you that trash to publish?"
Hemsworth gave a dry chuckle, leaning back in his chair. "What makes you think someone gave it to me? You can't just storm in here, throwing accusations without proof."
"Just here yourself. You just sold yourself out. You want proof?" William reached into his coat and tossed a file onto the desk. It slid across the polished wood toward Hemsworth. "Here you go."
Hemsworth hesitated, then opened the file. His eyes scanned the documents—and for a brief moment, his mask slipped. The flicker of shock was unmistakable.
"Now," William said, his voice low and cold, "if you know what's good for you… tell me who handed you this for publication."
Hemsworth slowly closed the file, his face neutral again. "And why would I tell you that?"
"I'm not going to force it out of you," William replied, straightening up. "But if you don't come clean before the end of today… you'll regret it."
Without waiting for an answer, William turned to his heel and left, the door slamming shut behind him.
As soon as he left, Mr Hemsworth brought out his phone and called Carlos.
"What is it?"
"William found out I was the one who did the publication." He said fear laced in his voice.
"How did he find out? Did you use your original account?"
"No… why would I? I used a fake account that doesn't have any of my information. I don't know how he found out and now he's asking me who gave me the article."
"Hope you didn't mention my name?"
"I didn't…"
"Good. You just watch."
"Be fast with whatever you are…." The call ended.
"The fuck… did Carlos just end the call on me? Oh my god… what have I gotten myself into."