Chapter 5 - Midnight Alliance
At 2:00 AM, my bedroom door clicked open.
I bolted upright in bed.
A tall silhouette stood in the doorway.
“It’s me,” Nathaniel whispered.
He slipped inside and locked the door behind him.
He looked exhausted, his tie discarded, his shirt wrinkled.
“Is Marcus gone?” I asked, pulling my robe tightly around myself.
“He’s sleeping in the guest wing. He said he wanted to spend time with Eli tomorrow.”
Nathaniel ran a hand through his hair.
“He’s watching me, Clara. He suspects something.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t yell at you in the ballroom. He knows I protect this room fiercely.”
Nathaniel stepped closer.
In the moonlight streaming through my window, I saw the raw vulnerability in his face.
This powerful billionaire was suddenly just a grieving husband and a terrified father.
“I need the ledgers,” he said softly.
I nodded and tiptoed to Eli’s room, retrieving the hidden package.
When I handed it to him, his fingers brushed mine.
His hand was freezing.
“I’m going to contact the FBI in the morning,” he said.
“You can't use your phone,” I warned him. “If he’s been stealing millions, he might have tapped your devices.”
Nathaniel looked at me, surprised by my quick thinking.
“You’re right.”
He looked down at the notebook.
“Clara… I need your help.”
“Anything,” I said without hesitation.
“I need you to take Eli and Sophia tomorrow morning. Tell Marcus you are taking them to the park.”
“Where are we really going?”
“My private jet at the private airfield. I’m sending you all to my cabin in Montana.”
“What about you?”
“I’m going to the board meeting. I’m going to corner Marcus in front of the entire executive committee.”
“No!” The word slipped out before I could stop it.
Nathaniel paused.
“It’s too dangerous,” I pleaded. “If he killed Evelyn, he will kill you too.”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened.
“He killed my wife, Clara. I won't let him get away with it for another day.”
He placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.
May you like
“Just promise me you’ll keep Eli safe.”
“I will protect him with my life,” I swore.
