Chapter 11 - The Man Who Controlled Everything|
Marcus Bell had been Dominic Vale's closest business associate for fifteen years.
He managed warehouses, shipping contracts, security vendors, and several companies that Dominic rarely visited.
According to Mrs. Hargrove, Marcus had practically run the household while Dominic grieved Evelyn's death.
That made him useful.
It also made him dangerous.
The morning after Noah described the roadside attack, Dominic summoned Marcus to his private office.
I wasn't invited.
But I was cleaning the library next door when their voices began carrying through the wall.
“You signed the transport authorization,” Dominic said.
Marcus replied calmly.
“On Dr. Kessler's recommendation.”
“Without telling me.”
“You were refusing to face reality.”
A heavy silence followed.
Then Dominic spoke again.
“My son isn't a business problem you can solve by removing him.”
“Dominic, the boy has injured nineteen employees.”
“Eighteen nannies. Clara wasn't his nanny.”
“That's hardly the point.”
I heard a sharp impact.
Something striking the desk.
“The point,” Dominic said, “is that my child has been frightened inside my own house while the people I trusted kept telling me he was dangerous.”
Marcus lowered his voice.
“You've been distracted since Evelyn died.”
“Careful.”
“Someone had to protect the company.”
Dominic laughed once.
It wasn't a pleasant sound.
“By forging my approval?”
Silence.
Then Marcus said:
“Everything I did was for your family.”
Dominic's response came immediately.
“Then give me access to every Three Bells account.”
Another silence.
Longer this time.
“I'll need to consult legal.”
“You have two hours.”
Marcus left the office a few minutes later.
When he passed the library, he stopped.
I continued dusting the bookshelf.
“Miss Reed.”
I turned.
“Mr. Bell.”
He smiled coldly.
“You've made yourself very important around here.”
I said nothing.
“Be careful.”
His voice softened.
“People who become important to powerful men sometimes forget how replaceable they are.”
I looked at him.
“My brother is nineteen.”
Marcus's smile faded.
“He has nothing to do with this.”
“Then stay away from him.”
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then he leaned closer.
“You don't understand whose story you've walked into.”
He walked away.
I stood there shaking.
That afternoon, Dominic discovered Marcus had transferred control of several company databases to an external administrator.
At the same time, the original records of Evelyn's roadside attack disappeared from the internal archive.
Dominic ordered Marcus's access suspended.
But Marcus had already vanished.
Gabriel entered the study carrying a printout.
“Boss, we've located the last place Marcus used his company phone.”
“Where?”
Gabriel looked toward me.
“St. Catherine's Hospital.”
My breath caught.
“Tyler?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Someone used Marcus's credentials to request access to your brother's medical information.”
I reached for my phone.
Tyler didn't answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
Then my screen lit up with a new message.
It was a photograph of Tyler's empty hospital bed.
May you like
Beneath it were five words.
Now you know how Noah feels.
