PART 14: THE STRANGER
PART 14: THE STRANGER
The winter of 2026 arrived with a heavy freeze that coated Portland in glistening white ice.
Whitmore Logistics—now renamed Vance-Beaumont Transport—was thriving under my management.
We had implemented a comprehensive family-leave policy for all drivers and warehouse staff, a change that had made us one of the top-rated employers in the state.
One Tuesday evening, I was leaving the corporate parking garage late.
The air was bitter cold, my breath turning to thick white clouds as I walked toward my car.
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from the shadow of the concrete wall.
My hand instantly flew to my purse, my fingers wrapping around the small pepper spray device I kept inside.
"Claire," a voice called out.
It wasn't Daniel.
It wasn't Eleanor.
It was a man in his late fifties, tall, with sharp blue eyes and a face that looked hauntingly familiar.
He wore a dark wool coat and carried a small wooden box in his hands.
"Who are you?" I asked, stepping back, my heart rate spiking.
The man took off his leather glove and raised his hand in a peaceful gesture.
"My name is Julian Hayes," he said softly. "I am Victor’s older brother. But twenty years ago... I was your father’s personal attorney."
I froze, my hand dropping slightly inside my purse.
"My father’s attorney died in the corporate restructuring," I said, my eyes narrowing.
"That's what Eleanor wanted everyone to believe," Julian said, taking a step closer into the light of the garage lamp. "But I didn't die, Claire. I went into hiding because I knew what Eleanor did to your family's original company."
May you like
He held out the small wooden box.
"Your father didn't just leave you a trust fund, Claire. He left you a second key."
