Chapter 8 — The Man Behind Matthew
Chapter 8 — The Man Behind Matthew
The first thing my father did after reading the message was lock every door in the house.
The second thing he did was order everyone to leave.
No explanation.
No argument.
Within five minutes, the residence was empty except for me, my father, Daniel, and Lauren.
I stood in the hallway holding the phone.
Richard will come for you tonight.
I looked at my father.
“Who is Alexander Sterling?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad.”
He walked into the study.
I followed.
He shut the door.
Then he turned the lock.
“You shouldn't have learned about him this way.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Apparently there's no other way my family tells me the truth.”
He looked exhausted.
“Alexander was my older brother.”
“I know.”
“He was brilliant.”
“What happened?”
My father sat behind the desk.
“He believed the Sterling fortune should have belonged to him.”
“Why?”
“Because our father chose me as successor.”
“That's it?”
“No.”
He stared at the floor.
“Alexander believed I had stolen something from him.”
“What?”
“The company.”
I frowned.
“Your grandfather's company?”
“Yes.”
“Why would he think that?”
“Because he built most of it.”
That surprised me.
My father continued.
“Alexander was the strategist. I was the public face.”
“So he created the empire.”
“Part of it.”
“And Grandpa gave it to you.”
“Yes.”
Alexander couldn't accept it.
“He disappeared after the succession.”
“How long?”
“Four years.”
“And then?”
“He came back.”
My father looked at me.
“And everything changed.”
The Man Who Knew Matthew
Lauren sat across from us.
“He recruited Matthew when Matthew was twenty-six.”
I looked at her.
“Alexander?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Matthew was vulnerable.”
“Richard already controlled him.”
“Richard controlled his debt.”
Lauren paused.
“Alexander controlled his ambition.”
I thought of Matthew.
His hunger.
His pride.
His obsession with NexusCore.
His need to be admired.
It suddenly made sense.
Matthew hadn't simply been trapped.
He had been cultivated.
Like an investment.
“Alexander promised him something,” Lauren continued.
“What?”
“A future.”
I frowned.
“He told Matthew that Richard was using him.”
“He was.”
“Yes.”
“And Alexander offered to free him.”
“Not exactly.”
“What did he want?”
Lauren looked at my father.
“Clare's trust.”
My father closed his eyes.
I stared at her.
“So Alexander was behind the marriage.”
“He helped arrange it.”
“How?”
“He knew Matthew needed money.”
“That's not enough.”
“No.”
Lauren's voice became quieter.
“He gave Matthew information about you.”
My stomach tightened.
“What kind of information?”
“Your habits.”
“My friends.”
“My father's business.”
“Your mother's history.”
“Everything.”
I whispered:
“He studied me.”
“Yes.”
Before I could respond, my phone rang.
Matthew.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
His voice was barely audible.
“Clare.”
“What?”
“You need to leave the house.”
My father heard him.
“Why?”
Matthew hesitated.
Then:
“Because Alexander isn't the person you think he is.”
Matthew's Warning
My father took the phone.
“You've known about Alexander.”
Matthew went silent.
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Since before I met Clare.”
My father slammed his hand against the desk.
“You worked with him.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Matthew laughed bitterly.
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“No.”
Matthew's voice shook.
“Richard threatened my sister.”
My father stopped.
I stared at him.
“Emma.”
“Yes.”
“She's alive?”
Matthew didn't answer.
“Matthew.”
“She was.”
The word cut through me.
“Was?”
“She died six years ago.”
I closed my eyes.
Matthew continued.
“Richard blamed Alexander.”
My father looked at me.
I whispered:
“Why?”
Matthew answered:
“Because Alexander was the one who found her.”
The First Assignment
Matthew told us everything.
Or at least everything he claimed to remember.
Alexander approached him after Matthew left Blackwell Strategic Holdings.
He offered him a position.
Not at a company.
Inside a private investment network.
Matthew's job was simple.
Identify families with significant assets.
Study their heirs.
Find weaknesses.
Then determine whether those heirs could be manipulated.
My stomach turned.
“How many families?”
“I don't know.”
“How many women?”
“I don't know.”
“And me?”
“You were different.”
“How?”
“You were the only heir Alexander had personally studied.”
“Why?”
“Because of your mother.”
I froze.
“My mother?”
“Alexander believed Elena had hidden something from him.”
“What?”
“The original trust ledger.”
I looked at the black book on the table.
“So he wanted it.”
“Yes.”
“And Matthew was supposed to get it.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“By marrying you.”
I stared at the phone.
“Then why did you fall in love with me?”
Silence.
Then Matthew answered:
“I wasn't supposed to.”
My throat tightened.
“But I did.”
The Lie That Saved Him
Matthew continued.
“The first year was real.”
I closed my eyes.
“Only the first?”
“No.”
His voice cracked.
“Clare, I loved you.”
I wanted to believe him.
That was the problem.
Some lies hurt because they're false.
Others hurt because they might be true.
“Then why did you keep working for them?”
“Because Alexander had something.”
“What?”
“Evidence.”
“Against you?”
“Yes.”
“About the accident?”
“No.”
“What then?”
Matthew hesitated.
“He had proof that my sister was murdered.”
My breath stopped.
“By whom?”
“Richard.”
The room became silent.
Matthew continued:
“Alexander showed me photographs.”
“Of Emma?”
“Yes.”
“After she died?”
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
“What did he want?”
“Me.”
“Working for him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted Richard destroyed.”
I looked at my father.
Matthew whispered:
“And he knew I could get close enough to Richard through you.”
Alexander's Game
My father took the phone again.
“You're saying Alexander used my daughter as bait.”
“Yes.”
“Did Richard know?”
“I don't know.”
“Did Alexander order the assault?”
“No.”
My father paused.
“Then who did?”
Matthew's breathing became uneven.
“Edward.”
My father's expression changed.
“What?”
“Edward arranged it.”
I stared.
“The forged documents?”
“Yes.”
“The boardroom?”
“Yes.”
“The missing millions?”
“Edward moved them.”
My father gripped the phone.
“Why?”
Matthew answered:
“To make Clare appear financially corrupt.”
“Why?”
“So Richard could invoke the trust's emergency clause.”
I looked at the ledger.
My mother's warning.
The forged signature.
The boardroom betrayal.
Everything connected.
“Then Edward works for Richard.”
Matthew said:
“No.”
That answer shocked me.
“Then who?”
Matthew whispered:
“Alexander.”
The Real Enemy
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Edward had been working for Alexander.
Alexander had manipulated Matthew.
Richard had controlled Matthew's debt.
And I had been trapped between three men who all wanted something different.
I asked:
“Why would Alexander want me removed from the trust?”
“He doesn't.”
“Then what does he want?”
“The money.”
“The $243 million?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Matthew was silent.
“Answer me.”
“Because that money belongs to him.”
I stared.
“What?”
“He believes it was stolen from him.”
“By my grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“That's what everyone keeps saying.”
Matthew whispered:
“It's true.”
My father stood abruptly.
“That's impossible.”
Matthew said:
“No.”
“Your grandfather stole nothing.”
“I've seen the documents.”
“What documents?”
“The original succession agreement.”
My father froze.
“What did it say?”
“That Alexander was supposed to inherit the entire Sterling empire.”
Silence.
My father sat down.
I looked at him.
“Dad?”
He didn't respond.
Matthew continued:
“Your grandfather changed the agreement the night before he died.”
“Why?”
“Because he discovered what Alexander had done.”
My father whispered:
“What did he do?”
Matthew answered:
“He sold part of the company.”
“To whom?”
“Richard Blackwell.”
The Missing Millions
I suddenly understood.
The missing millions.
The Blackwell connection.
The hatred.
The trust.
The family war.
Alexander hadn't simply wanted revenge.
He believed the Sterling fortune had been stolen from him.
And Richard believed the same fortune had been stolen from his family.
Two men.
Two grievances.
One fortune.
And my mother had discovered the truth.
I asked:
“What did Mom know?”
Matthew answered:
“Everything.”
“Then why did she die?”
He hesitated.
“Because she tried to expose Alexander.”
I looked at my father.
“Did you know?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad.”
He whispered:
“Yes.”
I felt betrayed all over again.
“You knew Alexander was involved.”
“I suspected.”
“You knew Mom was investigating him.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“Stop saying that.”
My voice cracked.
“You keep calling secrecy protection.”
My father looked devastated.
“But all it has done is leave me defenseless.”
The Phone Call
The lights suddenly went out.
Lauren stood.
“Everyone stay still.”
Daniel drew his weapon.
A sound came from upstairs.
Three slow footsteps.
Then silence.
My father whispered:
“He's here.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
Before he could answer, the study door opened.
A man stood in the darkness.
Older.
Tall.
Silver hair.
The face from the photograph.
Alexander Sterling.
My uncle.
He looked at me.
Not my father.
Me.
His eyes filled with something I couldn't identify.
Pain.
Regret.
Or perhaps calculation.
“Clare.”
My father stepped in front of me.
“You're not touching her.”
Alexander smiled sadly.
“I don't want to touch her.”
He looked at me.
“I want to tell her the truth.”
My father raised his gun.
Alexander didn't flinch.
“Put it down, William.”
“You're dead.”
“I was supposed to be.”
“You killed your own brother.”
Alexander shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Your father tried to kill me.”
I stared at my father.
He said nothing.
Alexander continued.
“Eight years ago, Elena discovered that William had hidden the original inheritance agreement.”
My father whispered:
“Don't.”
“She discovered Alexander had been named successor.”
I stared.
“My grandfather chose you?”
Alexander nodded.
“Legally.”
My father said:
“Until he discovered the truth.”
“What truth?”
Alexander's face hardened.
“That your father had been stealing from me for years.”
My father laughed bitterly.
“You betrayed the family.”
Alexander stepped forward.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I was betrayed by it.”
The Final Photograph
Alexander reached inside his coat.
My father raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
Alexander slowly removed a photograph.
He handed it to me.
It showed my mother.
Alive.
Standing beside Alexander.
And behind them—
Matthew.
But Matthew was younger.
Terrified.
My mother was holding a document.
On the back was written:
October 17.
I turned it over.
Alexander spoke softly.
“That was the night your mother learned who had stolen the $243 million.”
I looked at him.
“Who?”
He looked at my father.
Then Edward's name came to my mind.
But Alexander shook his head.
“Not Edward.”
I felt my pulse accelerate.
“Then who?”
Alexander looked directly at me.
“Your father.”
My father closed his eyes.
I stared at him.
“No.”
Alexander continued.
“Your father didn't steal the money for himself.”
“Then why?”
“Because he was paying someone.”
“Who?”
Alexander's expression changed.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes.
“Someone neither Richard nor Edward knows about.”
I stepped closer.
“Who?”
Alexander whispered:
“Your mother.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She wasn't protecting the money from us.”
He looked at me.
“She was buying her freedom.”
I couldn't breathe.
My mother had moved $243 million.
She had hidden the trust ledger.
She had trusted Richard.
She had warned Lauren.
She had prepared me.
But she had also paid someone.
Someone powerful enough to control my father.
Someone who had remained hidden for eight years.
Alexander looked toward the window.
“They're coming.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
Then the glass exploded.
Daniel threw me to the floor.
Gunfire tore through the room.
My father dragged me behind the desk.
Lauren screamed.
Alexander disappeared into the darkness.
And on the floor beside me, my phone lit up.
A message appeared.
You have ten minutes.
Then another.
Bring the ledger to the old Sterling warehouse.
And finally:
Come alone, Clare.
The sender's name appeared beneath the message.
Not Richard.
Not Alexander.
Not Edward.
It was a name I had never seen before.
ELENA STERLING.
My mother's name.
The woman who had been dead for eight years.
I stared at the screen.
May you like
And somewhere in the darkness, Alexander whispered:
“She's alive.”
