Chapter 4 - Secrets in the Shadows
Returning to my house, I began investigating Marcus Kane's background with the help of a private investigator I had hired years ago to look into his debts. The documents I pulled revealed a network of shadow transactions, shell companies, and unpaid gambling debts connected to high-profile figures in Seattle.
Marcus hadn't just targetted Sarah for affection; he had used her maiden name to sign off on illegal real estate transfers, effectively framing her—and by extension, linking my medical practice—to fraudulent investments.
While I reviewed the files, Lily sat on the rug near the fire, holding her brothers. Despite her age, she displayed an intense protective instinct, refusing to let the twins out of her sight.
"Lily," I asked gently, sitting beside her. "Did your dad ever talk about a man named Vance?"
Lily froze, her small hands tightening around Owen's blanket. She looked up, her green eyes wide.
"Mr. Vance came to the house," she said in a hushed tone. "He gave Daddy money in big white envelopes. Daddy was scared of him. On the night before we ran, Mr. Vance told Daddy that if Uncle Nathan found out about the papers, everyone would go away."
The pieces began falling into place. Marcus was not operating alone. He was an enforcer for Arthur Vance, a prominent real estate developer who had tried to recruit me years ago for a hospital expansion project—a project I had rejected due to suspicious funding sources.
Vance had used Marcus to construct a blackmail file against me, using Sarah as leverage. Sarah’s discovery of these documents was the trigger that forced Marcus to act violently that night.
May you like
My phone rang. It was an unlisted number.
"Dr. Pierce," a raspy voice spoke through the speaker. "You have something that belongs to me. And I have something that belongs to you."
