The Truth Hidden In Cross Industries

Chapter 5: The Truth

Nadia's Pov

I spent almost two weeks in the hospital. Levi stayed with me each night.

He didn't have to but he did.

I started seeing him differently, not as the cold CEO I first met but as Levi. A kind caring man.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked him one night.

“Because I care about you, more than I thought I would.”

I didn't know what to say so just held his hand.

When I finally got discharged from the hospital we went back to work but this time we were closer than ever. We never forgot we had a mission.

To find out who killed my father.

One night as we were working on the case after everyone else had left, we were going through some of the files in my dad's office.

I had kept my bag on my Father's desk and started going through the files on the shelf adjacent to me.

Levi was done checking the files in the other cabinets and proceeded to check the ones on my Father's desk. In the process he mistakenly pushed down my bag.

"I'm sorry about that," he said as he gathered the things that fell out and tried putting them back in.

Then he noticed the lighter.

"Why do you have this?" He said as he held it and then looked at me a bit confused.

"If you're wondering, it's not mine. It was one of the things found during my Father's accident."

"I know it's not yours, I asked because I know who it belongs to," he said with a straight look.

"But how can you be sure?" I asked.

"Because there's only one person who has this particular brand of lighter, and that's Marcus Rook."

"But I know Marcus, he would never do something this despicable."

"If it really is Marcus, we still need more proof."

"We have to check the time he left work that day and security cameras too," I said with determination.

After we did, the evidence led us to Marcus Rook.

After we found out that the lighter belonged to him we also found out that he left work at the same time as my Father and that he was at the scene before the accident.

Levi didn't want to accept it. “He's like a father to me, he taught me everything I know.”

“I'm not saying he's guilty just yet, I'm just saying let's find out the truth by confronting him.”

We confronted him in his office.

He was calm, too calm.

“I knew this day would come eventually,” Marcus said.

Levi's face hardened, “Did you kill him? Did you kill Daniel White?”

“No I didn't,” he said.

“The evidence says otherwise,” I said.

“Marcus looked at me. You're Daniel white's daughter, aren't you?”

I didn't respond. But my silence was enough.

“I expected nothing less from his daughter.”

“Tell me what happened to my Dad,” I said.

Marcus took a breath.

“I was involved in his death but not in the way you think.”

“Your father came to me. I had never seen him so terrified. He said he found something, something dangerous and that your life was in danger. He didn't even care about his life.”

“What did he find?” I asked

“Financial discrepancies, someone was stealing from the company and Daniel planned on exposing them.”

“But it was getting more dangerous and the culprit threatened to hurt you Nadia.”

“So Daniel decided to fake his death to make the culprit think he had won and to stop him from thinking of harming you.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt like the ground was pulled from under me.

“You're telling me my Dad is still alive?”

“Yes Nadia, your Father's alive.”

I felt so many emotions at once, relief, anger, confusion but most importantly, hope.

The possibility that my dad was still alive after everything was relieving.

“Who was it? I asked, "Who wanted him dead?”

“I don't know,” Marcus said. “And I never asked.”

I thought about everything I'd discovered. The warnings. The fear in my father's eyes. The financial discrepancies.

“I know who did it.”

Levi looked at me. “Who?”

“Simon Hale.”

“Simon has been in Cross Industries for over a decade. He's loyal.”

“He's only loyal to himself. He's been stealing from the company and my Father found out. He tried to kill him but when that didn't work he tried to frame Marcus.

Levi was quiet for a few minutes. “Alright then, let's prove it.”

We finally found enough evidence to expose Simon. We found the dummy account he had been transferring the company's funds to and we were able to trace back to one of his accounts. His greed had made him sloppy.

The board believed us and justice was finally served.

And then, after everything was over…my father came home.

I saw him for the first time in seven years. His hair got a bit grayer but his eyes were still the same.

Tears filled my eyes as I rushed to hug. I held him like I never wanted to let go and he did the same.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just wanted to protect you,” he said with teary eyes.

“I know Dad. I know.”

“I'm just glad you're alright and finally here with me again," I said as I held him tight.

…

Later that night, I stood with Levi on the rooftop of Cross Industries.

“We did it,” I said.

“We did,” he said.

“But you Nadia? You were exceptional.”

He looked at me as he said those words. His gaze softened.

“I know this started as a search for the truth but along the line I found something I wasn't looking for.”

“Really? What did you find?” I said with a cheeky look on my face.

“You,” he said.

I felt my heart skip, “Levi…”

He stepped closer. “I know we didn't start off good. I know you didn't trust me. But I'm asking you to trust me now. Because I've fallen for you Nadia.

I looked into his eyes and remembered everything. The suspicion, the danger and even the fear.

But also the trust. The hope. The love.

“I've fallen for you too,” I said.

He smiled and then he kissed me.

*...*

It was all over. The truth was out. My father was alive. And I had found something I had never expected.

A future.

With him.