Chapter 3 The Name Behind the Betrayal

Elena's POV

"Ask Alexander Blackwood what his uncle did on October seventeenth."

The stranger's words echoed in my head long after the call ended.

I stared at my phone, my heartbeat refusing to settle.

Richard Blackwood.

I knew the name.

Five years ago, Richard had been the vice chairman of Blackwood Global and one of the most influential men in New York's financial world. His face had appeared in countless business magazines, usually beside articles praising his investment strategies.

But I had never connected him directly to my father's downfall.

Until tonight.

I called the number back.

The number you have dialled is unavailable.

Of course.

I tried again.

Nothing.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

And why had you waited five years to tell me?

I opened my laptop and searched for Richard Blackwood.

His photograph appeared immediately.

Silver hair. Distinguished features. A confident smile that suggested he had never been denied anything in his life.

Below his photograph was a recent article.

BLACKWOOD GLOBAL VICE CHAIRMAN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN INVESTMENT IRREGULARITIES.

I clicked.

According to the report, Richard had publicly dismissed allegations involving Meridian Capital, describing them as an attempt to destabilise the company.

My stomach tightened.

Meridian Capital.

The same company that had acquired my father's business.

I scrolled further.

One paragraph caught my attention.

Richard Blackwood personally supervised several acquisitions completed during the company's expansion five years ago.

Five years ago.

October seventeenth.

My hands went cold.

This wasn't proof of anything.

But it was enough to make me question everything I thought I knew.

I saved the article and opened the old folder containing documents from Hart Financial Advisory.

For years, I had avoided those files because they reminded me of everything my family had lost.

Tonight, I examined them differently.

Not as memories.

As evidence.

By seven the following morning, I had slept less than three hours.

My mother noticed immediately.

"You look exhausted."

I stood in her kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil.

"Long night."

"Working?"

"Researching."

She gave me a knowing look.

"Blackwood Global?"

I nodded.

Noah sat at the dining table, carefully arranging cereal pieces into what he called a dinosaur village.

"Mommy, this one is the king."

He held up a spoon.

"Very impressive," I said.

"And this one is his baby."

He placed a smaller spoon beside it.

My mother glanced at me.

I pretended not to notice.

"Noah, sweetheart," she said, "finish your breakfast before your dinosaurs eat everything."

He giggled.

I poured my tea and sat opposite him.

"Are you going to school today, Mommy?" he asked.

"No, darling. I'm going to work."

"Do you have friends there?"

"Yes."

"Do you have a best friend?"

"Auntie Sophie."

He nodded approvingly.

"Good. Everybody needs a best friend."

I smiled.

He was right.

And lately, I had needed mine more than ever.

At nine, I arrived at my office to find Sophie waiting.

She held up her phone.

"You accepted the contract."

"Good morning."

"Elena."

"Yes, I accepted."

She closed her eyes briefly.

"I knew it."

"Before you start lecturing me, something happened last night."

That got her attention.

I told her about the anonymous call.

By the time I finished, her expression had changed completely.

"Richard Blackwood?"

"That's what the caller said."

"Did you record the conversation?"

"No. I wasn't expecting it."

"Did you save the number?"

"Yes, but it's unavailable."

Sophie folded her arms.

"That could be someone trying to manipulate you."

"I know."

"Or someone trying to lure you into making accusations you can't prove."

"I know that too."

She studied me.

"Then what's your plan?"

"Find out who authorised the Meridian acquisition."

"And if it was Richard?"

"Then I find out why."

Sophie leaned against my desk.

"Elena, promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't confront him with an anonymous accusation. Gather evidence first."

I nodded.

She was right.

Five years ago, people had accepted accusations against my father without demanding proof.

I refused to repeat their mistake.

Blackwood Global had arranged temporary office space for my team on the thirty-eighth floor.

By ten thirty, I was reviewing the company's crisis files with Nathan Cole.

He was efficient, professional, and surprisingly easy to work with.

"Your team will receive the requested financial summaries today," he explained. "The forensic accountants are reviewing the underlying records."

"And Meridian Capital?"

Nathan glanced at me.

"What about it?"

"I noticed the subsidiary appears in several disputed transactions."

"It does."

"Who supervised its acquisition activities five years ago?"

He paused.

"That's a specific question."

"I'm conducting a specific investigation."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Fair enough."

He opened a document.

"Richard Blackwood oversaw several major acquisitions during that period."

My pulse quickened.

"Including Hart Financial Advisory?"

Nathan looked up sharply.

"You know about that acquisition?"

"My father owned the company."

Silence.

Then Nathan slowly closed the folder.

"Elena Hart."

I held his gaze.

"That's my name."

"I knew Hayes was your professional surname, but I hadn't connected you to Charles Hart."

"Does that change anything?"

"It explains why you're interested."

"Will it affect my access?"

"No. But we should document the potential conflict and establish safeguards for the investigation."

I appreciated that he didn't pretend the issue was insignificant.

"Agreed."

Nathan studied me for another moment.

"Alexander knows who you are?"

"Yes."

"Then I assume he understands the history."

I gave a humourless smile.

"He understands his version of it."

Before Nathan could respond, someone knocked.

Alexander entered.

And just like yesterday, my body betrayed me with an unwelcome rush of awareness.

He wore a dark blue suit, his expression serious.

"Nathan, I need the acquisition records from 2021."

Nathan blinked.

"That's exactly what we're discussing."

Alexander's gaze moved to me.

"Elena."

"Mr. Blackwood."

A muscle tightened in his jaw.

Nathan stood.

"I'll coordinate with legal. You two should review the access arrangements."

He left before I could object.

Again.

Alexander waited until the door closed.

"I received your acceptance."

"That's usually what happens when someone signs a contract."

His mouth almost curved.

Almost.

"I appreciate you taking the assignment."

"I'm here because your company needs help."

"I understand."

"Good."

He placed a folder on the desk.

"These are the acquisition records you requested."

I opened it.

Several company names appeared across the first page.

Meridian Capital was among them.

Then I saw the signature at the bottom.

Richard Blackwood.

I looked up.

"Your uncle authorised the Meridian transactions?"

Alexander nodded.

"He supervised that division."

"Did he also supervise the acquisition of Hart Financial Advisory?"

His expression changed.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I need to understand the company's history."

"Elena."

"Answer the question."

He exhaled.

"Yes. Richard oversaw that acquisition."

I felt something tighten inside my chest.

"And you knew?"

"I knew the company had acquired distressed assets connected to Hart Financial."

"Did you know those assets belonged to my father?"

"Not when the transaction was approved."

I stared at him.

"How convenient."

His eyes darkened.

"I'm telling you the truth."

"Just as you told me your name was Daniel Reed?"

He flinched.

It was small, but I noticed.

"That was different."

"Was it?"

"I didn't tell you my real name because I wanted one evening without people treating me like Alexander Blackwood."

"And I was supposed to appreciate being deceived?"

"No."

His voice softened.

"I should have told you."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

I had spent years imagining Alexander defending himself, dismissing my feelings, or accusing me of exaggerating.

I hadn't prepared for him to admit he was wrong.

But an apology didn't erase what happened.

I turned back to the folder.

"There's something else."

He waited.

"October seventeenth. What happened that day?"

Alexander frowned.

"Five years ago?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because the date appears repeatedly in the records."

He considered the question.

"Richard chaired an emergency acquisition meeting that afternoon."

My breath caught.

"An emergency meeting?"

"Yes. I remember because I was supposed to attend, but I was dealing with another transaction."

"Was Hart Financial discussed?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I wasn't present, Elena."

I studied him.

For the first time, his confusion seemed genuine.

"Then I want the minutes from that meeting."

Alexander nodded.

"I'll request them."

"And the original transaction authorisations."

"You'll have them."

He moved toward the door, then stopped.

"Elena, there's something I need to ask."

I stiffened.

"If this is about Noah-"

"It's about your father."

I went still.

Alexander turned.

"Did Charles Hart ever tell you why he refused to cooperate with the original investigation?"

I stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Alexander frowned.

"According to the records I saw, your father declined several requests for an interview."

"That's impossible."

"Elena-"

"My father begged investigators to hear his side. I watched him make those calls."

Alexander's expression slowly changed.

"Then someone gave me false information."

The words settled between us.

For five years, I had believed Alexander knew exactly what happened to my family.

Now I wasn't so sure.

That evening, I called my father.

He answered on the fourth ring.

"Elena, sweetheart."

"Dad, I need to ask you something."

"Of course."

"Do you remember October seventeenth, five years ago?"

Silence.

Then I heard him take a slow breath.

"Why are you asking about that date?"

"Because I'm working with Blackwood Global."

The silence deepened.

"Elena," he said quietly, "you need to be very careful."

My heart began pounding.

"Dad, what happened that day?"

He didn't answer immediately.

When he finally spoke, his voice sounded older than I remembered.

"I received a call that morning. Someone wanted to meet me about the documents I'd discovered."

"Who?"

"Richard Blackwood."

I gripped the phone.

"Did you meet him?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

My father hesitated.

Then he spoke the words that changed everything.

"He offered me ten million dollars to keep quiet. And when I refused, he told me my family would pay for it."