Chapter 4
I demanded an explanation.
Hannah brought Marcus into a secure conference room.
I sat across from him with Gabriel beside me.
“What does Sabrina want from me?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Your father’s publishing archive.”
“My company owns thousands of songs.”
“Not those.”
“Then what?”
“Unreleased recordings.”
I frowned.
My father, Jonathan Reed, had produced music for some of the biggest artists in America.
He had stored master recordings in private vaults.
Some were valuable.
But not valuable enough to explain murder.
Marcus shook his head.
“It isn’t music.”
“What is it?”
“Your father recorded business meetings.”
Gabriel leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
My father had apparently suspected several powerful entertainment executives of illegal royalty manipulation.
He secretly recorded meetings discussing bribery, stolen copyrights, falsified accounting, and hidden payments.
One of those executives was Victor Lang.
Another was Christian’s late father.
I stared.
“My father knew Christian’s family?”
Marcus nodded.
That changed everything.
Christian had claimed we met accidentally at an awards dinner.
Maybe nothing about us had been accidental.
Marcus continued.
“Jonathan hid the recordings before he died.”
“Where?”
“No one knows.”
“Why would Sabrina think I know?”
“She believes your father left you a key.”
I laughed bitterly.
“He left me a publishing company and a box of handwritten letters.”
Marcus looked sharply at me.
“Letters?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Birthday letters. Advice. Memories.”
Gabriel turned toward me.
“Where are they?”
“At my apartment.”
Hannah immediately ordered officers there.
Too late.
Someone had broken in.
Nothing valuable appeared stolen.
Except my father’s letters.
My stomach turned.
Sabrina had them.
Then another discovery arrived.
Victor Lang had not only investigated my father’s archive.
He had secretly tried to protect it.
Daniel found emails from Victor written shortly before his death.
One was addressed to me but never sent.
Emma,
If anything happens to me, do not marry Christian Vale.
I read the sentence twice.
Victor knew.
He knew Christian was dangerous.
But why warn me?
Daniel continued.
“Victor apparently wanted to meet you.”
“When?”
“The day after he died.”
I stared at Marcus.
“Sabrina killed him before he could talk to me.”
He nodded.
Hannah asked, “Why would Victor betray his wife?”
Marcus looked toward the table.
“Because Sabrina wasn’t always like this.”
“What changed?”
“Power.”
Victor had financed Sabrina’s career quietly for years.
She learned the entertainment business.
Then she discovered how much money could be made by controlling artists, estates, publishing rights, and scandal.
Christian became useful because he was famous.
I became valuable because of my father.
Victor eventually realized Sabrina planned to destroy both of us once she controlled our assets.
He tried to stop her.
She stopped him first.
My phone rang.
Christian.
He was calling from jail.
I almost ignored it.
Hannah said, “Answer.”
“Emma.”
His voice sounded desperate.
“What?”
“Sabrina contacted me.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she say?”
“She has the letters.”
I closed my eyes.
“Anything else?”
“She wants a trade.”
“For what?”
Christian hesitated.
“Me.”
I laughed.
“You think I’m trading anything for you?”
“No.”
His voice broke.
“She wants me released long enough to take her somewhere.”
“Where?”
“She thinks I know where your father stored the archive.”
“Do you?”
Silence.
“Christian.”
“Yes.”
Everyone in the room froze.
“You knew this whole time?”
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“I never opened it.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Christian lowered his voice.
“Your father built a recording studio beneath his old lake house.”
My heart stopped.
Dad’s lake house had burned down twelve years earlier.
The ruins still belonged to my family trust.
Christian continued:
“The studio survived underground.”
“How do you know?”
“Because my father helped build it.”
Before I could answer, Hannah’s phone rang.
She listened.
Then looked at me.
“We have movement at the lake property.”
“Who?”
May you like
“Sabrina.”
She had found it first.
