Chapter 25 - NATALIE RECOGNIZED HIMNatalie arrived that evening.
Emily had sent her the security image of Martin Vale.
Natalie stared at it for three seconds.
“I know him.”
Ryan stood.
“How?”
“He came to Maddox's office during our divorce.”
Ryan frowned.
Natalie remembered waiting outside Steven Maddox's office years earlier. A gray-haired man entered carrying a leather folder.
She heard them arguing.
One sentence remained in her memory.
“If the decree closes, we lose leverage.”
At the time, Natalie assumed they were discussing another client.
Now nobody spoke.
Ryan asked, “You're sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Natalie pulled out her phone.
She still had archived emails from the divorce.
One message from Maddox suddenly mattered.
Delay requested due to unresolved beneficiary exposure.
“What beneficiary?” Emily asked.
Natalie shook her head.
“I never knew.”
Ryan's face hardened.
Their unfinished divorce hadn't merely been incompetence.
Someone may have needed Ryan's legal status uncertain.
Emily's phone rang.
Unknown caller.
She answered.
A man's voice said:
“Stop digging into Martin Vale.”
“Lucas?”
Silence.
Then:
“My mother is in danger.”
Emily put the call on speaker.
Ryan stepped closer.
“Lucas, where are you?”
“You think I'm coming after Noah.”
“Aren't you?”
“No.”
Lucas sounded terrified.
“I've been trying to stop them.”
“Stop who?”
Before Lucas could answer, a crash sounded through the phone.
Then a struggle.
Lucas shouted:
“DON'T SIGN ANYTHING!”
The line went dead.
Thirty seconds later Emily received a photograph.
May you like
Evelyn was sitting in a chair.
Behind her stood Martin Vale.
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