The Inheritance Secret

Chapter4

The next morning, Sera stood outside the towering glass structure of Carter Industries. The sleek building reflected the skyline of the bustling city behind her, and Sera’s reflection stared back at her—a mixture of apprehension and determination in her eyes.

Today would be the first time she truly stepped into her father’s world, and the weight of it pressed heavily on her chest. She hesitated for a moment, adjusting the strap of her purse. She had never imagined walking through those doors, let alone as the majority shareholder. Yet here she was, about to uncover the secrets that had been hidden from her for so long.

The revolving doors spun silently as she entered the lobby. The space was vast and modern, all clean lines and polished marble, but it felt cold—like her father had. Businesslike. Impersonal. She swallowed hard and made her way to the elevators, her heels clicking against the floor. The ride up to her father’s office felt endless, each passing floor a reminder of how far she was from her old life. When the doors finally slid open, she was greeted by the sight of her father’s personal assistant, Maggie, waiting for her with a tight smile.“Miss Carter,” Maggie said, her tone professional but strained. “It’s good to see you.”Sera forced a smile in return. “Thank you, Maggie. Is his office still the same?” Maggie nodded, her eyes flickering with something Sera couldn’t quite place. “Everything is just as Mr. Carter left it. No one has been in since… well, since.”Sera felt a pang in her chest at the mention of her father. As distant as their relationship had been, the finality of his death still felt surreal. “I’ll be quick. I just need to go through some of his files.” Maggie gave a curt nod and stepped aside, allowing Sera to pass. She walked down the corridor, her heart thudding in her chest. The door to her father’s office loomed ahead, and she hesitated before pushing it open.

The office was exactly as she remembered it from her rare visits. Dark wood paneling, floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city, and shelves lined with leather-bound books. The massive mahogany desk sat in the center, imposing and pristine, as if waiting for its owner to return. Sera stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The silence of the room was suffocating, and for a moment, she could almost hear her father’s voice, issuing orders, planning his next business move. She shook the thought away and moved toward the desk, her fingers trailing over its smooth surface.She didn’t know where to start.

Lucas had said her father kept meticulous records, but would they be easy to find? Or had her father hidden them away, like the rest of his secrets? Taking a deep breath, Sera opened the first drawer. Inside were neatly organized files—financial reports, contracts, business plans. Everything looked legitimate, but nothing stood out as unusual. She rifled through them, her frustration growing. Where was the evidence Lucas had mentioned? Her gaze shifted to the bookshelf behind the desk. If there were any hidden files, they wouldn’t be in plain sight. Her father was too careful for that.

She approached the shelves, her fingers brushing over the spines of the books. One of them felt different. Heavier. Sera paused, frowning as she pulled the book from the shelf. It was a thick volume, leather-bound like the others, but as she examined it, she noticed the edges were worn in a way that suggested it had been handled more often than the rest. She opened it and found, instead of pages, a hollowed-out space inside the book. Tucked within it was a small, black notebook. Her pulse quickened as she opened the notebook. Inside were handwritten notes in her father’s precise script. Dates, names, and numbers were scrawled across the pages, but none of it made immediate sense to her. She flipped through the pages, her eyes catching on one name that had been circled several times. Alistair Royce.The name was unfamiliar to her, but the way it was emphasized made it clear this person was important.

She continued scanning the pages, noticing more references to this Alistair, as well as cryptic mentions of “the partnership” and “the organization.” A chill ran down her spine. This was it—the dark side of her father’s empire that Lucas had warned her about. Just as she was piecing things together, the door creaked open behind her. She spun around, clutching the notebook to her chest, her heart racing. Lucas stood in the doorway, his sharp eyes instantly taking in the scene. “Find something?” he asked, his voice low. Sera nodded, holding up the notebook. “It was hidden in a fake book. My father kept notes on someone named Alistair Royce. Do you know who that is?” Lucas’s expression darkened as he stepped closer. “I do. Alistair Royce is the head of a criminal organization. Your father had dealings with him—risky ones.” Sera swallowed hard. “What kind of dealings?” “Shady contracts, backdoor business deals, money laundering,” Lucas said, his voice tense. “It was all off the books, of course, but Royce made a fortune off your father’s investments. I’m guessing this notebook holds the key to those dealings.”

Sera looked down at the notebook, her hands trembling slightly. “My father was working with a criminal?” Lucas nodded grimly. “Your father wasn’t the man you thought he was, Sera. He was in deep, and now that he’s gone, Royce will want to protect his interests. That means coming after you.”Her heart pounded in her chest. She had known there were secrets, but this was more than she had bargained for. Her father hadn’t just been a ruthless businessman—he had been involved in dangerous, illegal activities. And now, because she had inherited everything, those activities were her responsibility. Sera sank into the chair behind her father’s desk, her mind spinning. “What do we do now?”“We find out what Royce wants and how far he’s willing to go to get it,” Lucas said, leaning against the desk. “But we need to be careful. Royce is powerful, and he has people everywhere. If he finds out you have this notebook, he’ll come after you.”

Sera stared at the notebook, the weight of her father’s legacy pressing down on her. She had never wanted this life, but now she had no choice. If she was going to survive, she had to be smarter than the people coming after her.“Why didn’t my father just walk away from all of this?” she asked, her voice hollow.Lucas shook his head. “Because once you’re in with someone like Royce, there’s no walking away. Your father was in too deep. And now, so are you.” Sera’s stomach twisted. She felt trapped, as if the walls were closing in on her. But she wouldn’t let fear paralyze her. If her father had been tangled in something this dangerous, she needed to understand it. She needed to take control.“I won’t let Royce destroy everything,” she said, her voice steely with determination.

“Whatever my father was involved in, I’m going to find a way to fix it.”Lucas’s gaze softened, and for a moment, she saw the man she had once trusted. “You’re stronger than you think, Sera. We’ll figure this out together.” Sera looked up at him, their eyes locking. Despite their history—despite everything that had happened between them—there was something comforting in knowing Lucas was by her side. Maybe she couldn’t trust him fully, but right now, he was the only one who seemed to know what was really going on.“We start here,” Sera said, holding up the notebook. “This is our way in.”Lucas nodded. “And it might just be our way out.”