Chapter 7: The Hidden File
646 Words
The rest of the morning passed in silence.
Alexander left the dining room shortly after Sophia walked out, as if nothing unusual had happened.
As if she hadn’t just warned me not to trust him.
I sat there for a while, staring at the untouched breakfast in front of me.
My appetite had completely disappeared.
One thought kept repeating in my mind.
You’re not the first Carter he’s wanted revenge on.
What did that even mean?
Did something happen between Alexander and my father before the business deal?
Or was there something much bigger I didn’t know about?
Either way, I needed answers.
And it was clear Alexander wasn’t going to give them to me willingly.
Which meant I had to find them myself.
Later that afternoon, I saw Alexander leaving the mansion.
A sleek black car waited outside, and one of the drivers opened the door for him.
He stepped inside without looking back.
The car drove away a few seconds later.
Perfect.
Now the house was quieter than ever.
Most of the staff were busy in other parts of the mansion.
No one would notice if I explored a little.
I walked slowly through the long hallway upstairs.
My destination was clear in my mind.
Alexander’s office.
If there were any answers in this house, they would be there.
The office door was located at the end of the corridor.
Large.
Dark wood.
Locked.
Of course.
For a moment, I considered giving up.
But then I noticed something.
The door hadn’t closed completely.
A small gap remained.
My heart started beating faster.
Carefully, I pushed it open.
The room inside was exactly what I expected.
Elegant.
Organized.
Cold.
A large desk stood in the center, surrounded by bookshelves and tall windows.
Everything was perfectly arranged.
Just like Alexander himself.
I stepped inside quietly and closed the door behind me.
My eyes scanned the room.
Where would he keep important documents?
The desk seemed like the obvious place.
I walked toward it and opened the first drawer.
Nothing interesting.
Just pens and notebooks.
The second drawer contained business files and contracts.
Still nothing useful.
But the third drawer was different.
Locked.
Of course.
I looked around the desk.
Maybe the key was nearby.
After searching for a few minutes, I noticed something small behind a stack of books.
A key.
My pulse quickened.
I picked it up and returned to the drawer.
For a moment, I hesitated.
This was definitely crossing a line.
But then I remembered Sophia’s warning.
You don’t understand the situation you’re in.
Taking a deep breath, I inserted the key and turned it.
Click.
The drawer opened.
Inside were several folders.
Most of them were labeled with company names.
But one file caught my attention immediately.
The name on the front made my stomach drop.
Carter Industries.
My family’s company.
My hands trembled slightly as I opened it.
The first few pages contained financial reports.
Old contracts.
Investment documents.
But as I flipped through the papers, something strange appeared.
A document with a bold red stamp across it.
FRAUD INVESTIGATION.
My heart started pounding.
Fraud?
I scanned the page quickly.
It described a failed investment project from ten years ago.
The same project Alexander had mentioned last night.
But one detail made my breath catch.
According to the report, the person responsible for the fraud….
Was not my father.
My eyes widened.
Instead, another name was listed.
Someone I had never heard before.
Just as I leaned closer to read it….
The office door suddenly opened.
My entire body froze.
A familiar voice filled the room.
“You really shouldn’t touch things that don’t belong to you.”
Slowly, I looked up.
Alexander stood in the doorway.
His gray eyes were locked on the file in my hands.
And for the first time since I met him…
He looked genuinely angry.
- Writer
