Chapter 7 - MY SISTER DISAPPEARED
Rosalie disappeared at 7:12 the following morning.
Her car was found outside a hotel downtown.
The driver's door was open.
Her phone was inside.
Her purse was on the passenger seat.
But Rosalie was gone.
Daniel was gone too.
My father claimed he didn't know where either of them were.
I didn't believe him.
Neither did Alexander.
We went to the hotel.
Security footage showed Rosalie entering alone.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel entered through a side entrance.
Ten minutes after that, another man appeared.
Marcus recognized him.
“That's one of Daniel's security contractors.”
“Who hired him?” I asked.
“Daniel.”
“Then where is Rosalie?”
Marcus shook his head.
“We need to find the second vehicle.”
Alexander's team found it two hours later.
A black SUV.
Abandoned near an old warehouse.
Inside was Rosalie's coat.
Nothing else.
My chest tightened.
“She could be hurt.”
Alexander nodded.
“We'll find her.”
We searched the warehouse.
Nothing.
Then I noticed something.
A white ribbon tied around a metal pipe.
Rosalie used white ribbons when she was nervous.
She had done it since childhood.
I touched it.
“She's been here.”
Alexander looked around.
“Find every camera within five miles.”
Hours passed.
Finally, we found footage.
Rosalie had been taken to an old property owned by Prescott Logistics.
My father knew about it.
I called him.
“Where is the warehouse on Mercer Road?”
He was silent.
“Dad.”
“Why?”
“Rosalie is missing.”
Another silence.
Then his voice changed.
“Don't go there.”
“Why?”
“Because it's dangerous.”
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I am trying to protect you.”
“You've been saying that my entire life.”
I hung up.
Alexander looked at me.
“We're going.”
The warehouse was empty when we arrived.
Or so we thought.
Then we heard a scream.
Rosalie.
We ran toward the sound.
A door slammed.
Alexander's security team moved first.
Inside, Rosalie was tied to a chair.
Daniel stood behind her.
He held a gun.
Everything stopped.
“Daniel.”
He looked at me.
His eyes were wild.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“Let her go.”
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
Rosalie was crying.
“Fiona, don't.”
Daniel pressed the weapon closer.
“Your father ruined everything.”
“You helped him.”
“I helped him because he promised me a future.”
“What future?”
“A place in the company.”
I stared.
“He promised you control.”
Daniel nodded.
“After you rebuilt it.”
Rosalie looked at him.
“You told me you loved me.”
“I do.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You loved what my family could give you.”
Daniel's face twisted.
“You were supposed to convince Fiona to sell.”
Rosalie looked at me.
“I tried.”
My heart broke.
“When?”
“Before the wedding.”
“You asked me about selling my shares.”
She nodded.
“I was trying to understand what Dad wanted.”
Daniel interrupted.
“She refused.”
“So you kidnapped her?”
“I needed leverage.”
I stepped forward.
“You're not leaving here with anything.”
Daniel laughed.
“You think Alexander will protect you?”
Alexander remained silent.
Daniel pointed the gun toward him.
“You know what your father did.”
Alexander's face hardened.
“You don't know my father.”
“I know everything.”
“No.”
Alexander's voice was calm.
“You know what someone told you.”
Daniel looked confused.
Alexander continued.
“And that's your mistake.”
Daniel's grip tightened.
“What are you talking about?”
“I found the ledger.”
Daniel froze.
I saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
“You don't have it.”
Alexander smiled faintly.
“We do.”
Daniel looked at me.
“You.”
I nodded.
He lowered the gun slightly.
“You ruined everything.”
“No.”
I looked at Rosalie.
“You did.”
Rosalie started crying.
Daniel stepped backward.
Suddenly, sirens sounded outside.
He turned toward the door.
Alexander had already called the police.
Daniel panicked.
He grabbed Rosalie.
I moved.
“Let her go.”
He shouted.
“She was supposed to be my future.”
Rosalie looked at him.
“No.”
She spoke quietly.
“You were supposed to be my husband.”
He stared at her.
“But you became my father's weapon.”
His face collapsed.
He released her.
The police entered seconds later.
Daniel surrendered.
Rosalie fell into my arms.
I held her.
Neither of us spoke.
For the first time in our lives, we were simply sisters.
No competition.
No comparison.
Just two women who had survived the same family.
Later that night, Rosalie told me everything.
Daniel had been working with my father for years.
He had been secretly collecting information about the company.
The money transfer was designed to create a criminal trail leading to Rosalie.
Then the plan was simple.
My father would blame Rosalie.
Rosalie would blame me.
I would be forced to defend myself.
Meanwhile, the company would collapse.
Daniel would acquire the remaining assets through a third-party investor.
My father would disappear with the money.
It was complicated.
Cruel.
And almost successful.
Except Alexander had arrived.
And I had finally stopped being afraid.
Before we left the police station, my father appeared.
He looked older.
Smaller.
He approached me.
“I want to tell you something.”
I didn't answer.
He continued.
“I was wrong.”
I stared at him.
“About what?”
“About you.”
I waited.
“You were never weak.”
I swallowed.
“No.”
“You were the strongest person in this family.”
The words should have made me happy.
They didn't.
Because they had arrived thirty-two years too late.
He looked at Rosalie.
“I failed both of you.”
Rosalie began crying.
I looked at my father.
“Why did you treat us differently?”
He had no answer.
Then he finally said,
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“That if Fiona succeeded, Rosalie would feel worthless.”
Rosalie shook her head.
“You made me feel worthless anyway.”
He closed his eyes.
That was the truth.
He had spent years trying to protect one daughter from another.
And in doing so, he had damaged them both.
Then he looked at me.
“Can you forgive me?”
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted everything to be simple.
But forgiveness wasn't a switch.
It wasn't something someone could demand.
So I said the only honest thing.
“I don't know.”
He nodded.
“I understand.”
Then he walked away.
Alexander stood beside me.
“You okay?”
I nodded.
“Not yet.”
He smiled.
“You don't have to be.”
That night, we returned home.
For the first time in days, I slept peacefully.
Until my phone rang at 3:18 a.m.
It was Marcus.
His voice was urgent.
“Fiona.”
“What happened?”
“The ledger is incomplete.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“There are missing pages.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“What was on them?”
He hesitated.
“Your brother's medical records.”
I sat up.
“Marcus.”
“Yes?”
“Who has them?”
Silence.
May you like
Then he whispered,
“Your father.”
