Chapter 6 - A SHIELD OF MILLIONS
Ethan didn't wait. He mobilized his own resources. While the police were searching Rachel's apartment, Ethan hired the top defense attorneys and private investigators in the state.
He also started digging into Daniel's death.
Late that night, while Rachel was reading Sophie a bedtime story in the guest room, Ethan was in his command center—a high-tech office in the basement of the estate. He had pulled the police reports from Daniel's accident eighteen months ago.
It had been ruled a tragic accident: a blown tire on a wet highway in New Haven, causing the truck to spin into a ravine.
But as Ethan ran the tire forensics through Hawthorne Systems' predictive AI, a terrifying anomaly popped up. The wear patterns on the tire weren't consistent with a standard blowout. There were microscopic traces of a chemical compound designed to rapidly degrade rubber when heated by friction.
It was sabotage.
Ethan felt a cold sweat break out over his body. Who would want to kill a random construction worker?
He dug deeper into Daniel's digital footprint. Even though Daniel had sworn off tech, he still had a bank account and a phone. Ethan hacked the phone records.
A month before his death, Daniel had received three calls from a corporate law firm in Manhattan. A law firm representing the Whitmore family.
Caroline.
Ethan felt his stomach heave. Caroline's family had been early investors in Hawthorne Systems. Twelve years ago, when Ethan was looking for funding after stealing Daniel's code, it was Arthur Whitmore, Caroline's father, who gave him the money.
Arthur had insisted on a background check on the origins of the code. Ethan had lied. But what if Arthur hadn't believed him? What if the Whitmores had found out about Daniel years ago and kept tabs on him to ensure he never came forward to claim his half of the company?
And when Daniel started making noise—maybe asking for money for his daughter's future—they silenced him.
Ethan grabbed the files and ran upstairs. He burst into the guest suite. Rachel jumped up, startled.
"Ethan? What is it?"
"We need to leave," Ethan said, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and fear. "Right now. Pack whatever you have. Daniel's death wasn't an accident. And if Caroline knows that you and Sophie are his heirs, you're both in danger."
Just as he spoke, the estate's security alarm began to blare. A piercing red light bathed the hallway.
Ethan's phone buzzed. It was his head of security.
May you like
"Sir, we have a breach at the west gate. Two unmarked vehicles forced their way through. They're armed."
"Get the helicopter ready," Ethan ordered. He grabbed Rachel's hand. "Hold Sophie tight. We're going to the roof."
