CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
The Enemy Inside The Family
The Thorne family had always been built on one belief.
Blood was thicker than business.
At least, that was what everyone claimed.
But Marcus Thorne had learned something throughout his years of building an empire.
Sometimes the most dangerous enemies were not the people standing outside the gates.
They were the ones who already had keys.
The morning after the contract leak, the Thorne mansion was surrounded by reporters.
Cameras waited outside the gates.
Journalists shouted questions.
"Mr. Thorne, is your marriage a business arrangement?"
"Did Khloe know about the contract?"
"Is the Thorne family hiding more secrets?"
The world wanted answers.
But Marcus knew the truth.
The world never wanted answers.
It wanted someone to blame.
And right now, everyone was looking at his family.
Inside the mansion, Marcus stood in the private conference room.
Around the table sat the most powerful members of the Thorne family.
His mother, Victoria Thorne.
His younger cousin, Adrian.
The family lawyers.
The board representatives.
And his uncle.
Richard Thorne.
The man who had helped Marcus's father build the company.
The man who had been considered family for decades.
Richard looked calm.
Almost too calm.
"We need to control the damage."
His voice was measured.
"The company cannot survive another week of this media attention."
Marcus stared at him.
"My wife was attacked."
Richard sighed.
"I understand."
"No."
Marcus leaned forward.
"You understand the stock price."
The room became quiet.
Richard's expression hardened slightly.
"I am trying to protect this family."
Marcus smiled coldly.
"Are you?"
The question created tension.
Because everyone in the room felt it.
Something had changed.
This was no longer just about Isabella.
There was another battle happening.
One that had been hidden for years.
Daniel Parker arrived thirty minutes later.
He placed a folder in front of Marcus.
"I found the source."
Everyone looked at him.
Richard frowned.
"Who authorized you to investigate?"
Daniel didn't even look at him.
"Marcus did."
Richard looked at Marcus.
"And you trusted a hospital employee with family matters?"
Daniel finally turned.
"I am not a hospital employee investigating your family."
He placed another document on the table.
"I am Khloe's uncle."
Silence.
Richard's face changed.
Only slightly.
But Daniel noticed.
Interesting.
"You knew about him?"
Marcus asked.
Richard looked away.
"Of course not."
Daniel opened the folder.
"The contract leak came from an internal system."
Marcus looked down.
The evidence.
Access records.
Security logs.
Authorization codes.
Then Daniel pointed.
"Someone used a Thorne family executive account."
Everyone looked around.
"Whose account?"
Daniel answered.
"Richard Thorne."
The room exploded.
"What?"
Richard stood immediately.
"That's impossible."
Marcus did not move.
He simply watched.
Because this was not the reaction of an innocent man.
An innocent person asked questions.
An innocent person demanded proof.
Richard's first instinct was denial.
"Someone is framing me."
Daniel nodded.
"That is possible."
Richard relaxed slightly.
Then Daniel continued.
"But the person who framed you needed access to your account."
The room went silent again.
Richard looked at Marcus.
"This is ridiculous."
Marcus remained cold.
"Then help me understand."
Richard stared.
"Understand what?"
"Why someone used your account."
No answer.
That evening, Marcus confronted his uncle privately.
The old family office was filled with memories.
Photographs.
Awards.
History.
Everything the Thorne family had built.
Richard poured himself a drink.
"You really think I would betray you?"
Marcus stood near the window.
"I think someone inside this family is betraying me."
Richard smiled sadly.
"And you think it is me."
"I think you know more than you are saying."
The smile disappeared.
For a moment, Richard looked tired.
Almost disappointed.
Then his expression changed.
"You are too much like your father."
Marcus froze.
"What does that mean?"
Richard looked at him.
"Your father trusted people too easily."
"My father built this company."
"Your father lost control of it."
Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"What are you talking about?"
Richard walked closer.
"You think your family became powerful because of one man's vision?"
A pause.
"You don't know half the story."
Marcus felt something cold.
"Explain."
Richard smiled.
"No."
He stepped away.
"Not yet."
Meanwhile, Khloe discovered something disturbing.
She was looking through old documents related to the marriage contract.
Not because she wanted to.
Because she needed answers.
The contract had been created five years earlier.
Before she met Marcus.
That should have been impossible.
But one detail bothered her.
Her name was written on the document.
Not a placeholder.
Not a future name.
Her actual name.
Khloe Elizabeth Parker.
Her blood ran cold.
How could someone have created a marriage contract involving her before Marcus even knew her?
Unless...
Someone had known she would enter his life.
She immediately called Daniel.
"Uncle Daniel."
His voice answered quickly.
"What's wrong?"
"The contract."
A pause.
"I found something."
"What?"
"My name."
Daniel became silent.
"Your full name?"
"Yes."
Another silence.
Then Daniel said something that frightened her.
"Khloe..."
"What?"
"I think you need to know something about your family."
Her heart started beating faster.
"What does my family have to do with Marcus?"
Daniel hesitated.
"More than you realize."
That night, Marcus received an unexpected visitor.
Isabella Rossi.
She stood outside his office.
Security had allowed her inside because she had sent a message.
A message claiming she had proof.
Marcus looked at her with disgust.
"You have five minutes."
Isabella smiled faintly.
"Still angry."
"You attacked my wife."
"I know."
The lack of denial surprised him.
"I made a mistake."
Marcus laughed once.
"A mistake?"
Isabella looked at him.
"Yes."
She stepped closer.
"But not the mistake you think."
"What does that mean?"
She placed a small envelope on the desk.
"I didn't create the contract."
Marcus looked at it.
"Then who did?"
Isabella smiled.
"The same person who wants your marriage destroyed."
Marcus opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
A photograph of Richard Thorne meeting Isabella.
Marcus's face changed.
"When was this taken?"
"Three months ago."
His hands tightened.
"Why were you meeting my uncle?"
Isabella looked directly into his eyes.
"Because he hired me."
Silence.
The kind of silence that came before an explosion.
Marcus stared at her.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't need you to believe me."
She walked toward the door.
"Because you will find out soon."
She stopped.
"And when you do..."
She glanced back.
"...you will realize I was never your biggest enemy."
The door closed.
Marcus stood alone.
The photograph remained on the desk.
Richard Thorne.
Isabella Rossi.
Working together.
A partnership he never knew existed.
Later that night, Daniel completed another investigation.
He found bank transfers.
Hidden accounts.
Private meetings.
And one shocking discovery.
Richard had not hired Isabella to destroy Khloe.
He had hired her to destroy Marcus.
Khloe was only the first target.
Because the real plan was much bigger.
Remove Marcus from the company.
Take control of Thorne Global Holdings.
And replace him with someone easier to control.
Someone who would follow orders.
Someone like Richard.
Daniel looked at the evidence.
Then immediately called Marcus.
But before he could speak...
The line went dead.
Because Marcus's phone had already been disconnected.
Someone had entered the mansion's security system.
Someone inside.
Someone close.
And in the darkness of the Thorne estate...
A figure watched the cameras.
Smiling.
May you like
Because the war had finally begun.
END OF CHAPTER 6
