Chapter 6 - THE MAN INSIDE VALE MARITIME
By sixteen weeks, Naomi had learned three things about pregnancy.
First, strangers suddenly believed her stomach belonged to the public.
Second, every older woman had a different theory about whether she was carrying a boy or girl.
Third, Adrian Vale could turn a fruit-size comparison into military intelligence.
“The baby is supposedly the size of an avocado.”
Naomi looked at him across the examination room.
“That means absolutely nothing.”
“It means approximately four and a half inches.”
“Why do you know that?”
“I read.”
“You never read the books I gave you about marriage.”
His face tightened.
“Fair.”
Dr. Warren entered before Naomi could apologize.
The appointment went well.
Heartbeat strong.
Growth normal.
No reason for concern.
Adrian relaxed visibly.
Naomi had come to recognize the moment.
He entered every appointment appearing calm.
Then the heartbeat began.
And something in his shoulders released.
He never admitted it.
She never teased him.
Some things were too tender.
After the appointment, they walked toward the parking garage.
Dante followed twenty feet behind.
Naomi had chosen him herself.
One guard.
Only Dante.
He had become less like security and more like an exhausted older brother who frequently found himself mediating arguments.
Adrian’s phone rang.
He checked the number.
Unknown.
Naomi said,
“Answer.”
He did.
A man’s voice spoke.
“Mr. Vale?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Daniel Kim. I work in accounting at Calumet.”
Adrian stopped walking.
Naomi stopped too.
“What do you want?”
“I have something you need to see.”
“What?”
“Victor’s real books.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Where are you?”
The man named a coffee shop near Chinatown.
“Come alone.”
“No.”
A pause.
“Then I disappear.”
The call ended.
Naomi looked at Adrian.
“You’re not going alone.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“You were thinking about it.”
“Yes.”
Dante approached.
“What happened?”
Adrian explained.
Dante immediately shook his head.
“Trap.”
“Probably.”
Naomi looked between them.
“Could it also be real?”
“Yes,” Adrian said.
“Then police.”
Dante nodded.
Adrian hesitated.
Naomi noticed.
“What?”
“If this man has proof of criminal activity tied to Vale Maritime, police involvement changes everything.”
“Meaning?”
“I lose control of what becomes public.”
Naomi stared.
He exhaled.
“I heard it.”
“Good.”
He called the federal investigator handling Victor’s case.
Forty minutes later, Daniel Kim entered the coffee shop under surveillance.
He was twenty-eight.
Thin.
Terrified.
He carried no dramatic briefcase.
No envelope.
Just an old phone.
He sat across from Adrian.
Naomi remained two tables away with Dante.
Daniel’s hands shook.
“Victor knows someone is talking.”
“Does he know it’s you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What do you have?”
Daniel unlocked the phone.
Photographs of account screens.
Shipping schedules.
Messages.
Names.
Adrian’s face became darker with every swipe.
Victor had been moving illegal freight for years.
Not months.
Years.
Using legitimate Vale contracts as cover.
Worse, he had paid employees to create security incidents that made Adrian believe rival crews were responsible.
Some of the violent confrontations Adrian had personally handled had been manufactured.
Victor had fed Adrian enemies.
Then positioned himself as the loyal man who could solve them.
Adrian whispered,
“Son of a bitch.”
Daniel looked at Naomi across the room.
“There’s more.”
Adrian followed his gaze.
“What?”
“He knew about your wife before Lena died.”
Adrian’s entire body changed.
“What do you mean?”
“Victor had files on everybody close to you.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Mrs. Vale had a separate folder.”
“Naomi Bennett.”
The correction surprised Daniel.
“Sorry.”
“What was in the folder?”
“Her schedule. Family. Medical history.”
Adrian’s face drained.
“How far back?”
“Before your wedding.”
Naomi saw the reaction from across the room.
She stood.
Adrian did not stop her from joining them.
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
Naomi sat beside Adrian.
“Tell me.”
Daniel glanced at him.
Adrian said,
“Tell her everything.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Victor ran background checks on you before you married Mr. Vale.”
“That sounds like something Adrian would do.”
“I did,” Adrian admitted.
Naomi gave him a look.
“Later.”
Daniel continued.
“But Victor kept updating the file.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“What medical history?”
Daniel hesitated.
Naomi leaned forward.
“Say it.”
“Your mother.”
Her chest tightened.
“My mother died of ovarian cancer.”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at Daniel sharply.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Victor had records showing Mrs.—Naomi had genetic counseling scheduled two years ago.”
Naomi froze.
Adrian looked at her.
“You did?”
She looked away.
“Once.”
“You never told me.”
“You were in Baltimore.”
Pain crossed his face.
She continued.
“I cancelled.”
“Why?”
“Because I was scared.”
“And you were alone.”
Naomi said nothing.
The truth stood between them.
Daniel looked down.
“There were notes.”
“What notes?” Adrian asked.
“One said future pregnancy could create pressure.”
Silence.
Dante stopped moving.
Naomi’s skin went cold.
“Pressure on whom?”
Daniel looked at Adrian.
“You.”
Adrian stood so quickly the chair nearly fell.
Dante caught his arm.
“Not here.”
Adrian’s voice became low.
“Victor planned to use my wife before she was pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
A gunshot exploded outside.
The coffee shop window shattered.
People screamed.
Dante forced Naomi down.
Adrian grabbed Daniel.
A second bullet tore into the wall.
Federal agents rushed toward the street.
Dante shouted,
“Back exit!”
They moved through the kitchen.
Naomi stumbled.
Adrian caught her.
“Baby?”
“I’m fine.”
He almost corrected her.
Didn’t.
They reached the alley.
A black sedan raced toward them.
Dante raised his weapon.
Then stopped.
Vale Maritime plates.
The driver lowered the window.
A familiar face.
Marco Bell, one of Adrian’s senior drivers.
“Boss! Get in!”
Adrian pulled Naomi back.
Something was wrong.
Dante saw it too.
Marco never called Adrian “Boss” around Naomi.
He used Mr. Vale.
Always.
The rear door opened.
Rafael Mendez sat inside.
Released on bail two days earlier.
Gun in hand.
Adrian shoved Naomi behind a dumpster as shots erupted.
Dante returned fire.
Daniel ran.
Wrong direction.
A bullet struck him in the leg.
He fell.
Naomi reacted before thinking.
She crawled toward him.
Adrian grabbed her coat.
“No.”
“He’s bleeding.”
“Dante!”
Dante fired toward the vehicle.
The sedan sped away.
Adrian reached Daniel.
Naomi tore off her scarf and pressed it against the wound.
Daniel screamed.
“Pressure,” Naomi said.
Adrian looked at her.
Not helpless.
Not fragile.
Acting.
He followed her instruction.
Sirens approached.
Daniel grabbed Adrian’s sleeve.
“Inside man.”
“What?”
“Victor has someone still inside your executive office.”
Adrian leaned closer.
“Who?”
Daniel’s face twisted with pain.
“Not security.”
“Who?”
“The person authorizing transfers.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
Only three executives could approve movements that large.
His CFO.
His general counsel.
And—
His younger cousin, Michael Vale.
Michael had been Adrian’s closest surviving family member since his father died.
He sat on the company board.
He had held Naomi’s hand at her mother’s funeral.
He called Adrian every Sunday.
Adrian whispered,
“Michael?”
Daniel’s eyes widened.
Then he shook his head.
“No.”
Adrian almost breathed.
Daniel pointed weakly toward Adrian’s phone.
“CFO.”
Adrian froze.
Eleanor Price.
Fifty-six.
Vale Maritime’s chief financial officer for eleven years.
The woman who had managed the financial cleanup after Adrian’s father died.
The woman Naomi invited to Christmas every year because Eleanor had no children of her own.
Naomi stared.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
“She authorized everything.”
Adrian’s phone rang.
Eleanor.
All four of them stared at it.
Adrian answered.
“Eleanor.”
Her voice was calm.
“Adrian. I heard there was trouble in Chinatown.”
His expression became empty.
“How?”
Silence.
Then she laughed softly.
“That was quicker than I expected.”
Naomi felt sick.
Adrian’s eyes became colder.
“You’re working with Victor.”
“Working with?”
Eleanor sounded amused.
“No.”
A pause.
“I created Victor.”
The line went silent.
Then Eleanor said something that made Adrian’s face lose every trace of color.
May you like
“Your father should have told you who actually built Vale Maritime.”
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