Behind His Empire

Chapter 3: The Name on His Desk

Lena Hart had barely stepped out of Alexander Blackwood's office when Rebecca stopped her.

"Mr. Blackwood wants you in the financial archives at ten."

Lena glanced at the clock on the wall.

"That's in less than an hour."

Rebecca nodded.

"He's aware."

"Of course he is."

Rebecca almost smiled.

Almost.

She handed Lena a black access card.

"This will get you through the restricted floors."

Lena looked at the card.

Her name was already printed on it.

LENA HART — SPECIAL FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS

The title felt strange.

Yesterday, she had been an applicant.

Today, she had access to areas most employees probably didn't even know existed.

"Where do I report?"

"Mr. Blackwood's office first."

"I thought the archives were on another floor."

"They are."

"Then why does he want me there?"

Rebecca's expression became unreadable.

"He didn't explain."

That answer was becoming familiar.

Lena sighed.

"Fine."

She walked toward Alexander's office.

The glass door was open.

She knocked anyway.

"Come in."

Alexander was standing behind his desk, reviewing a document.

He looked up.

"You're early."

"You said ten."

"It's nine forty-seven."

"I prefer being early."

"I noticed."

Lena stepped inside.

Her eyes moved around the office.

The first time she had been here, she had been too focused on the interview to notice much.

Now she looked carefully.

Everything was precise.

Dark wood.

Glass.

Minimal decoration.

No unnecessary objects.

No personal clutter.

It looked less like an office and more like a place designed to reveal nothing about its owner.

Alexander closed the document.

"The archives are restricted."

"I have the access card."

"You'll need more than that."

He reached into a drawer and placed a small security device on the desk.

"Use this whenever you access confidential records."

Lena picked it up.

"What does it do?"

"Records your access."

She looked at him.

"So everything I do is monitored?"

"Everything involving restricted files."

"Comforting."

"It's necessary."

She placed the device in her bag.

"What's my first task?"

"You'll start with financial records from twelve years ago."

Her expression tightened.

"That's when my father's case happened."

"Yes."

"You knew that."

"I chose the dates deliberately."

Lena studied him.

"Why?"

"Because if your father was framed, the evidence is probably buried there."

She nodded slowly.

"Then let's find it."

Alexander stood.

"Before you go, there's something you need to understand."

"What?"

"You may find things about my family."

"Your father?"

"Among others."

"And?"

"Don't make assumptions."

Lena raised an eyebrow.

"That's difficult when everyone seems to be hiding something."

"That's why you're here."

He walked toward a cabinet along the wall.

Lena followed with her eyes.

He opened it and removed several folders.

As he turned back, one folder slipped from the stack.

It landed on the desk.

Lena's eyes immediately caught the label.

She froze.

DANIEL HART.

Her father's name.

For a moment, the room seemed to disappear.

Alexander noticed where she was looking.

Neither spoke.

Lena slowly stepped closer.

"Why is my father's file in your private office?"

Alexander placed the other folders aside.

"Because I kept it."

"You kept it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because no one else was protecting it."

Lena stared at him.

"You said his records were in the company archives."

"Most of them are."

"Most?"

"This is different."

She pointed at the folder.

"What's inside?"

Alexander's expression remained controlled.

"Information that wasn't included in the official investigation."

Her pulse quickened.

"Then show me."

"No."

Lena's eyes narrowed.

"You just hired me to investigate my father's case."

"I hired you to find the truth."

"How am I supposed to find it if you keep evidence from me?"

"I'm not keeping it from you."

He placed his hand over the folder.

"I'm protecting you from seeing it before you're ready."

Lena almost laughed.

"That's not your decision."

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"No. It isn't."

He picked up the folder.

Then he opened it.

Inside were documents, financial statements, photographs, and handwritten notes.

Lena's eyes moved rapidly across the pages.

Her father's handwriting appeared on several of them.

She recognized it immediately.

Then she noticed something else.

A small note attached to one of the documents.

Do not trust anyone inside Blackwood.

Lena's breath caught.

"Who wrote that?"

Alexander didn't answer.

She looked at him.

"Was it my father?"

"Yes."

Her fingers trembled slightly.

"When?"

"Two days before he was arrested."

Lena stared at the note.

Her father had known.

He had suspected someone inside the company.

Maybe he had been trying to warn someone.

Maybe he had known exactly what was coming.

"Why didn't this appear in the investigation?"

"Because it disappeared."

"And you found it?"

"Years later."

"Where?"

Alexander closed the folder.

"In a place no one thought to search."

Lena stared at him.

"What place?"

"My father's private office."

Silence settled between them.

Then Lena noticed another detail.

The folder wasn't simply labeled Daniel Hart.

Beneath his name was a date.

September 14.

She recognized it.

Her father's death date.

Her eyes lifted.

"You've been keeping this for years."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Alexander looked toward the window.

"For the same reason you're here."

Lena waited.

"To find out who destroyed him."

Something in his voice made her pause.

For the first time, she saw something beyond the cold billionaire everyone described.

Regret.

Maybe even guilt.

"Did you know my father was in danger?"

Alexander's eyes returned to hers.

"I knew he was afraid."

"But you didn't stop it."

His expression hardened.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I was too late."

The answer left Lena silent.

She didn't know whether to believe him.

She only knew that the folder in front of her contained pieces of the past that someone had worked very hard to erase.

Alexander handed it to her.

"Take it."

Lena looked at him.

"You said you weren't going to show me."

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because you're already involved."

She accepted the folder.

As she turned toward the door, Alexander spoke.

"There's one more thing."

She stopped.

"Don't tell anyone you saw that file."

"Not even Rebecca?"

"Especially not anyone on this floor."

Lena nodded.

She stepped into the hallway.

The door closed behind her.

She looked down at the folder in her hands.

Her father's name stared back at her.

For twelve years, Daniel Hart had been remembered as a criminal.

But now Lena was holding proof that he had known something was wrong before everything collapsed.

She tightened her grip.

Someone had buried the truth.

And for the first time, Lena had a reason to believe she might actually uncover it.

Inside the office, Alexander remained by the door.

He watched her disappear down the corridor.

Then his expression changed.

He returned to his desk and opened the drawer where the original file had been kept.

Beneath it was another document.

One he had never shown Lena.

His father's signature was at the bottom.

And beside it was a second name.

A name Alexander had spent twelve years trying to forget.

He stared at it for several seconds before whispering,

"Not again."

Then he locked the drawer.

---

End of Chapter 3