Chapter 10 - Mommy Has Been Missing
Dominic returned one day early.
His Atlantic City meetings had ended badly.
Two investors received anonymous warnings not to sign the succession agreement.
A bottle prepared for his private dinner had also gone missing from the hotel suite.
Dominic suspected someone inside his organization was interfering.
Nathan blamed outside rivals.
Claire greeted Dominic at the entrance with rehearsed concern.
“Mia disappeared.”
“Why?”
“We discovered she was stealing.”
“Where is Harper?”
“In her room. She’s confused.”
Dominic looked at Nathan.
“You told me Mia left voluntarily.”
“She did.”
“Did anyone see her leave?”
Nathan hesitated.
“The cameras were offline during the security incident.”
Dominic’s suspicion deepened.
He entered the family wing.
Harper sat on the floor clutching her toy rabbit.
Her cheeks were wet.
Dominic crouched several feet away.
“Where is your mother?”
Harper looked toward the open bedroom door.
Nathan and Claire stood in the hallway.
“She left,” Claire said gently. “Tell Mr. Vale.”
Harper stared at Dominic.
Then she stood and walked toward him.
She gripped his jacket.
“Mommy has been missing for three days.”
Dominic looked up at Claire.
“She’s frightened,” Claire said.
Harper tugged harder.
“The bird opened.”
Nathan’s face changed.
Dominic noticed.
“What bird?”
Harper pulled the silver pendant from inside the toy rabbit.
Claire moved forward.
“That belongs to me.”
Harper stepped behind Dominic.
“No. Mommy’s.”
Dominic took the pendant.
One wing was open.
The memory-card slot was empty.
A brass-key impression remained inside.
Dominic had seen the symbol before.
The silver bird had been designed decades earlier by his mother as a security mark for confidential family records.
Only a handful existed.
Lucas Bennett had been given one after uncovering theft within Vale Maritime.
Dominic had been told Lucas resigned and returned it.
Nathan had lied.
Dominic closed his fist around the pendant.
“Show me where you heard your mother.”
Harper led him downstairs.
Nathan followed, speaking quickly.
“Dominic, this is absurd.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.”
They reached the steel door.
Dominic saw the new lock.
The estate inventory did not use brass padlocks.
Harper pointed.
“Mommy’s in there.”
Dominic ordered the lock cut.
May you like
And when the door opened, every lie Nathan had told during the previous six years began collapsing at once.
👉 Mia’s rescue exposed the kidnapping, but Harper’s toy rabbit still contained the key capable of unlocking Lucas’s final evidence.
