Chapter 6 - THE ENEMY INSIDE COLE FREIGHT
Ethan moved Sofia into a secure residence the following week.
He hired no nanny.
No assistant.
He changed his schedule.
For the first time in three years, he began coming home before dinner.
His employees noticed.
His board noticed.
The business world noticed.
Ethan didn't care.
Every morning, Sofia woke him by climbing onto his bed.
Every evening, she demanded chocolate.
And every night, she asked him to tell her about Rachel.
“What was Mommy like?”
“She laughed a lot.”
“Did she dance?”
“All the time.”
“Was she pretty?”
Ethan smiled.
“Very.”
“Was she funny?”
“The funniest person I ever knew.”
Sofia smiled.
“I think I look like her.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You do.”
But happiness didn't erase danger.
The investigation continued.
Gregory Sloan disappeared.
Dr. Bell refused to cooperate.
The trust records revealed more missing money.
Then Ethan discovered the largest secret of all.
Rachel had owned a controlling interest in a private logistics company before her death.
That company had been acquired by Cole Freight.
Its shares were now worth nearly two hundred million dollars.
If Sofia was legally recognized as Rachel's daughter, she would inherit them.
Someone had spent three years preventing that.
Detective Mitchell obtained warrants.
They searched Gregory's properties.
They found bank records.
Payments to Dr. Bell.
Payments to Adrian Vale.
And payments to someone called “M.”
Ethan stared at the records.
“Who is M?”
Mitchell didn't know.
Then they found a photograph.
Gregory standing beside a woman.
Ethan recognized her immediately.
His aunt.
Miriam Cole.
His father's younger sister.
He had trusted her.
She had attended Rachel's funeral.
She had hugged him.
She had told him he needed to move forward.
She had visited him every Christmas.
Now Ethan realized something.
Miriam had never asked about Rachel.
She had always asked about the company.
The board.
The shares.
The future.
He confronted her.
She didn't deny it.
“I did what I thought was necessary.”
“You helped hide my daughter.”
“I protected the company.”
“You stole from my wife.”
“I protected what your father built.”
Ethan's voice became cold.
“My father didn't build it.”
Miriam smiled.
“He did more than you know.”
“What does that mean?”
She revealed another secret.
Ethan's father had been deeply involved in the company's early financing.
But he had also accumulated debts.
Miriam had spent years covering them.
When Rachel discovered the missing money, she threatened to expose everything.
“She was going to destroy the company.”
“No.”
“She was going to expose you.”
“She was exposing criminals.”
Miriam's face hardened.
“You don't understand business.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“I understand murder.”
Miriam's eyes narrowed.
“I didn't kill Rachel.”
“Who did?”
Silence.
Ethan waited.
Finally, Miriam whispered,
“Gregory arranged it.”
Ethan's heart stopped.
“Arranged what?”
“The crash.”
The room became silent.
Miriam admitted that Gregory had paid someone to tamper with Rachel's car.
But she insisted she had not known Rachel would die.
“He was supposed to scare her.”
Ethan stared at her.
“And the baby?”
Miriam looked away.
“I didn't know she survived.”
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You paid Dr. Bell.”
Miriam said nothing.
Ethan understood.
“You knew.”
She began crying.
“I was afraid.”
“You were afraid of losing money.”
“I was afraid of losing everything.”
“You took everything from me.”
Miriam shook her head.
“You were already broken.”
Ethan looked at her.
“That doesn't make it right.”
“No.”
He turned away.
“I loved her.”
“I know.”
“She was carrying my child.”
“I know.”
“And you watched me bury them.”
Miriam couldn't answer.
Police arrested her.
Gregory was captured two days later at a private airport.
Dr. Bell surrendered after learning the others had confessed.
The case became national news.
But Ethan refused interviews.
He only cared about Sofia.
One evening, he sat beside her in the nursery.
The room had changed.
Rachel's old crib was restored.
New toys filled the shelves.
Sofia's drawings covered the walls.
She held a photograph of Rachel.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Mommy knew you loved her?”
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“Did she love you?”
“Yes.”
Sofia smiled.
“Then we're a family.”
Ethan pulled her close.
“Yes.”
But one final secret remained.
A letter Rachel had left specifically for Sofia.
Ethan opened it on Sofia's fourth birthday.
The letter was short.
My little girl,
If you are reading this, your daddy knows you are alive.
I hope he tells you that I loved you before I ever saw your face.
I hope he tells you that I fought for you.
And I hope you never believe that the worst thing that happened to me was dying.
The greatest thing that happened to me was becoming your mother.
Sofia listened quietly.
Ethan couldn't finish.
He cried.
Sofia touched his cheek.
“Don't cry, Daddy.”
He smiled through tears.
“I'm okay.”
Then she whispered,
“Mommy said you needed me.”
Ethan froze.
“How?”
Sofia pointed toward the photograph.
“She told me.”
Ethan looked at Rachel's picture.
For the first time, he didn't feel pain.
He felt gratitude.
Rachel had left him a gift.
Not a memory.
May you like
Not money.
A daughter.
