Chapter 4: The Name Nobody Expected
The courtyard fell silent.
Victoria stared at the documents on the display table. Her mother stood beside Amber, holding the brown envelope against her chest. Richard looked as though someone had just pulled the ground from beneath his feet.
"Mom, what are you doing?"" Victoria demanded.
Isabella didn't look at her.
"Something I should have done twenty years ago.""
Richard stepped forward and lowered his voice.
"Isabella, this is a private family matter.""
"No, Richard. It stopped being a family matter when you stole another man's life's work.""
Several guests exchanged uncomfortable glances.
Monica moved closer to Victoria.
"What's happening? Is this some kind of joke?""
Victoria shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Amber stood quietly, staring at the legal certificate.
She could barely process what Isabella had just said.
The company belonged to her?
Her father's unfinished project?
The technology Richard had spent years claiming as his own?
All of it?
"Mrs. Vale," Amber finally said, "I need you to explain.""
Isabella nodded.
"Of course.""
She placed the envelope on the table and removed three documents.
"The first is the original partnership agreement between Daniel Carter and Richard. The second is the patent registration. The third is a trust agreement established by Daniel before his death.""
Richard immediately reached for the papers.
"Those documents are incomplete.""
Isabella pulled them away.
"Don't touch them.""
"You're making a terrible mistake.""
"No, Richard. My terrible mistake was believing you for twenty years.""
Victoria looked between them.
"Can someone explain what this has to do with me?""
Isabella turned toward her daughter.
"Your father told you he developed the Sterling engine. He told you the Carter family had no legitimate claim. He told you Amber was an opportunist trying to steal something from us.""
Victoria nodded slowly.
"That's what you both told me.""
"I know.""
Isabella's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I was afraid to tell you the truth.""
She turned back to Amber.
"Your father discovered that Richard had transferred the original engineering patents into a company he secretly controlled. But Daniel had protected his ownership through a separate legal trust.""
Amber looked at the documents.
"Why didn't he claim everything?""
"Because he wanted to finish the project himself. He believed he could resolve the dispute without destroying everyone involved.""
Richard laughed bitterly.
"Daniel was a stubborn fool.""
Isabella's expression hardened.
"Don't you dare speak about him that way.""
Richard stepped closer.
"You have no idea what you're doing.""
"I know exactly what I'm doing.""
She removed another document.
"This is the original trust agreement. Daniel named his daughter as the sole beneficiary.""
Amber's knees almost weakened.
"Why am I only hearing about this now?""
Isabella looked down.
"Because Richard hid the original paperwork. I found it in his private archive three weeks ago.""
Amber stared at her.
"Three weeks?""
"Yes.""
"And you waited until today?""
"I was trying to find a way to protect you before confronting him.""
Amber's voice trembled.
"Someone threatened me yesterday.""
Isabella's face changed.
"What?""
"Someone photographed me outside my workshop. They left a warning telling me to stop investigating.""
Isabella slowly turned toward Richard.
"Did you do that?""
Richard didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward the security guards.
"Everyone needs to leave.""
One of the guards hesitated.
"Mr. Vale?""
"Now!""
But nobody moved.
The guests had already begun recording with their phones.
Victoria grabbed her father's arm.
"Dad, tell me this isn't true.""
Richard pulled away.
"Victoria, you don't understand business.""
"Then explain it!""
He looked at her.
"Everything I did was for this family.""
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
"You told me the Sterling motorcycle was your greatest achievement.""
"It is.""
"But you didn't design it?""
Richard remained silent.
Victoria stepped backward.
"Did you steal it?""
"Watch your language.""
"Did you steal it?""
Richard's jaw tightened.
"Your mother has been manipulating you.""
Isabella shook her head.
"Don't blame me for your decisions.""
Amber picked up the original patent registration.
There was something strange about the final page.
A signature appeared beneath Daniel's name.
But it wasn't her father's.
It belonged to someone called Thomas Reed.
Amber frowned.
"Who is Thomas Reed?""
Isabella looked surprised.
"You don't know?""
"No.""
Richard suddenly became very still.
Isabella took the document.
"Thomas was the attorney who prepared Daniel's trust agreement.""
"Is he still alive?""
Isabella nodded.
"He lives outside the city.""
Amber looked at Richard.
"Then perhaps he can confirm everything.""
Richard laughed.
"Thomas Reed has been retired for years. He won't remember anything.""
Isabella stared at him.
"Actually, he called me last night.""
Richard's face lost its color.
"What?""
"He wants to testify.""
For the first time, Richard looked genuinely frightened.
He reached for his phone.
"Security, get this woman out of here.""
The head guard stepped forward, but Isabella raised her hand.
"Don't.""
She turned to the guests.
"I have copies of every document. My attorney has the original files. If anything happens to Amber, the entire archive will be released.""
Richard lowered his phone.
The courtyard went quiet again.
Amber looked at Isabella.
"Why are you doing this?""
Isabella took a shaky breath.
"Because your father once saved my life.""
Amber frowned.
"What?""
Isabella looked toward the swimming pool.
"Twenty-one years ago, I was driving home from a business meeting when my car broke down on a deserted road. Daniel stopped to help me. He fixed the engine, refused payment, and drove me home because it was raining.""
She smiled sadly.
"He told me that a person's worth wasn't measured by what they owned, but by what they were willing to do for others.""
Amber felt tears gathering.
"That sounds like him.""
"I know.""
Isabella wiped her eyes.
"When Richard began taking Daniel's work, I knew it was wrong. But I was afraid of losing my marriage, my home, and my daughter. I stayed silent.""
She looked at Victoria.
"And that silence taught my daughter the wrong lessons.""
Victoria lowered her head.
Monica quietly moved away from her.
Tanya followed.
Victoria noticed.
"Where are you going?""
Monica avoided her eyes.
"I think I should leave.""
"Monica!""
But Monica was already walking toward the villa entrance.
Tanya muttered something and followed.
Victoria stood alone.
Amber looked at her.
For the first time, she didn't see the confident woman who had mocked her outside the villa.
She saw someone whose entire understanding of her family was collapsing.
But Amber wasn't ready to forgive her.
Not yet.
"Mrs. Vale," Amber said, "I want the original engineering records.""
Isabella nodded.
"You'll have them.""
"And I want an independent inspection of the motorcycle.""
"Agreed.""
Richard suddenly stepped between them.
"Absolutely not.""
Amber looked directly at him.
"Why?""
"Because that motorcycle belongs to my company.""
"Then you shouldn't have any problem proving its ownership.""
Richard pointed toward the gates.
"Get out of my house.""
Amber placed the documents inside her handbag.
"I'll leave when I'm ready.""
Then she turned toward the pink superbike.
She noticed something she hadn't seen before.
A small metal plate beneath the rear fairing.
It carried a serial number.
She crouched and examined it.
Her expression changed.
The number matched a reference in her father's notebook.
But there was another marking beneath it.
A tiny engraved letter.
A.
Amber looked up.
"Isabella, did you know this motorcycle was built using the original prototype frame?""
Isabella frowned.
"No. Why?""
Amber slowly stood.
"Because this isn't just a copy of my father's design.""
She pointed toward the frame.
"This is the actual prototype he built.""
Richard took one step backward.
Amber stared at him.
"Where did you get it?""
He said nothing.
Then Isabella whispered:
"Richard, you told me the original prototype had been destroyed.""
The silence that followed was more frightening than any argument.
Because if the original motorcycle had survived, there was a possibility that Daniel had hidden something inside it.
May you like
Something far more valuable than the patent documents.
And Richard seemed to know exactly what Amber was about to discover.
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