Chapter 5: The Secret Hidden Inside the Engine
Richard ordered the security guards to move the motorcycle into the private garage.
But Amber wasn't leaving.
"Nobody touches that bike," she said.
Richard turned sharply.
"You don't give orders here.""
Amber opened her notebook.
"I don't need to give orders. I just need to explain what happens if someone damages the original prototype.""
Isabella approached the motorcycle.
"Richard, let her inspect it.""
He laughed.
"You're taking her side now?""
"I'm taking the truth's side.""
Richard stared at his wife.
Then he turned toward the security guards.
"Nobody touches anything until my attorney arrives.""
Amber nodded.
"That's fine.""
She looked at the engine.
"But I want an independent mechanic present.""
Richard scoffed.
"Who exactly do you think you are?""
Amber reached into her handbag and removed a business card.
*CARTER CUSTOM MOTOR WORKS.*
"I'm the person who knows this machine better than anyone standing here.""
Victoria watched silently.
For once, she didn't interrupt.
Twenty minutes later, an older man arrived through the gates.
He introduced himself as Michael Brooks, an independent motorcycle engineer who had previously inspected several of Richard's vehicles.
Richard looked relieved.
"Michael, thank goodness. Tell everyone this motorcycle belongs to Vale Performance.""
Michael adjusted his glasses.
"I can inspect its mechanical components. Ownership is a legal question.""
Amber almost smiled.
"That's exactly what we need.""
Michael crouched beside the motorcycle.
He examined the engine mounts, the electrical system, and the frame.
After several minutes, he looked at Amber.
"Where did you learn to identify this configuration?""
"My father taught me.""
Michael nodded.
"Daniel Carter?""
"Yes.""
Michael stood slowly.
"I knew your father.""
Amber's eyes widened.
"You did?""
Michael looked toward Richard.
"Your father and I worked together briefly during the Sterling development.""
Richard interrupted.
"That's irrelevant.""
Michael ignored him.
He examined the engine again.
"This motorcycle has been modified several times, but the original frame is unmistakable.""
He pointed to a small weld near the lower support.
"Daniel used a specific welding pattern. He developed it because the original prototype experienced excessive vibration at high speed.""
Amber leaned closer.
"That's right. He changed the frame geometry afterward.""
Michael smiled.
"Exactly.""
Victoria looked between them.
"So this really is the original prototype?""
Michael nodded.
"Almost certainly.""
Richard shook his head.
"That proves nothing about ownership.""
Amber stood.
"You're right. Which is why we need to inspect the internal components.""
Richard's face tightened.
"No.""
Amber looked at him.
"Why not?""
"Because the motorcycle is in perfect condition.""
Michael frowned.
"Actually, it isn't.""
He pointed toward the engine casing.
"There's evidence of a previous internal repair. Someone opened the engine and replaced several components.""
Amber crouched.
She noticed a thin line of fresh sealant.
"Who repaired it?""
Richard answered immediately.
"Our engineering department.""
"Who?""
"That information is confidential.""
Amber looked at Victoria.
"Do you know?""
Victoria shook her head.
"I thought Dad had it serviced by our usual team.""
Amber examined the casing.
Then she noticed a small circular mark near the lower housing.
It was almost invisible beneath the paint.
Her father's signature mark.
Three tiny dots arranged in a triangle.
Amber felt her heartbeat quicken.
She remembered the symbol from the notebook.
The sequence.
She carefully traced the three dots with her finger.
"Michael, can you remove this panel?""
Michael looked toward Richard.
"With authorization.""
Richard folded his arms.
"No.""
Amber stood.
"Then we'll wait for the court to authorize an inspection.""
Richard laughed.
"You think you can afford that?""
Amber looked him in the eyes.
"I think my father already did.""
She took out the trust agreement.
"Apparently, I inherited more than a workshop.""
Richard said nothing.
Michael stepped away from the motorcycle.
"Perhaps we should postpone the inspection until the legal representatives arrive.""
Isabella agreed.
The guests gradually left the courtyard.
Victoria remained beside the swimming pool.
Amber was preparing to leave when Victoria approached her.
"Can we talk?""
Amber stopped.
"What about?""
Victoria looked toward her father.
"Not here.""
Amber considered refusing.
But something in Victoria's expression made her pause.
They walked toward a small garden beside the villa.
The sound of the fountain softened the voices from the courtyard.
Victoria stood with her arms folded.
"I didn't know.""
Amber looked at her.
"Didn't know what?""
"About your father. About the motorcycle. About any of it.""
Amber remained silent.
Victoria continued.
"My dad always said Daniel Carter was an unsuccessful mechanic who tried to steal his company.""
Amber's expression hardened.
"And you believed him.""
Victoria looked down.
"I didn't have a reason not to.""
"You had plenty of reasons to treat me like a human being.""
Victoria flinched.
"I know.""
Amber shook her head.
"No, I don't think you do.""
Victoria looked up.
"Why did you keep coming back? After everything I said?""
"Because I wanted to know why your family was using my father's designs.""
Victoria hesitated.
Then she reached into her handbag and removed a small photograph.
It showed Richard standing beside the pink superbike in a workshop.
But there was someone else in the photograph.
A younger man wearing a black jacket.
Amber recognized him.
It was Daniel.
She snatched the photograph.
"Where did you get this?""
Victoria swallowed.
"It was in my father's office. I found it yesterday.""
Amber studied the image.
Her father looked younger, perhaps in his forties.
He was standing beside the exact motorcycle.
And he was smiling.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten date.
Twenty years earlier.
Amber's voice became quiet.
"Why was my father standing beside this bike?""
Victoria shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Amber turned the photograph over again.
There was another line beneath the date.
Prototype Seven. Final test. Never release without sequence confirmation.
Amber stared.
Sequence confirmation.
The same words her father had written in his notebook.
Victoria watched her.
"Does that mean something?""
Amber slowly nodded.
"It means there's something inside this motorcycle.""
Victoria frowned.
"What?""
"I don't know yet.""
Victoria glanced toward the villa.
"My father has been obsessed with this bike for years. He won't let anyone move it without his permission.""
Amber looked at her.
"Why are you telling me this?""
Victoria hesitated.
"Because yesterday, after you left, I heard him talking to someone on the phone.""
"What did he say?""
"He said the original data was still inside the machine. He said he needed to find it before the launch.""
Amber felt a chill.
"Who was he talking to?""
"I don't know.""
"Did he mention a name?""
Victoria nodded.
"Someone called Marcus.""
Amber froze.
Marcus Reed.
The name appeared in her father's old notebook.
She had assumed it was connected to Thomas Reed, the attorney.
But perhaps there was another person involved.
"Do you know where your father keeps his private files?"" Amber asked.
Victoria looked nervous.
"Why?""
"Because I need to know who Marcus is.""
Victoria shook her head.
"I can't help you with that.""
Amber studied her.
"Then why did you bring me the photograph?""
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I think my father is planning something terrible.""
Before Amber could respond, a loud crash came from the courtyard.
They both turned.
A security guard had accidentally knocked over a display stand.
But the crash wasn't what caught Amber's attention.
It was the motorcycle.
Someone had moved it.
The pink superbike was now being pushed toward the private garage by two mechanics.
Amber ran.
"STOP!""
One mechanic turned.
"Sorry, miss. Mr. Vale ordered us to move it.""
Amber stepped directly in front of the motorcycle.
"Don't start the engine.""
Richard appeared at the garage entrance.
"Move aside.""
Amber shook her head.
"You cannot move this motorcycle until the inspection is completed.""
Richard looked at the mechanics.
"Continue.""
The first mechanic reached for the handlebars.
Amber grabbed his wrist.
"Don't!""
Richard stepped closer.
"You're trespassing.""
Isabella rushed outside.
"Richard, stop this!""
He ignored her.
Then he reached into his jacket and removed a set of keys.
"I'm taking my property where I want.""
Amber looked at the motorcycle.
A small warning light was blinking beneath the instrument panel.
She recognized the pattern.
Her father had designed a diagnostic signal that indicated an internal electrical fault.
The sequence was flashing three short pulses, followed by one long pulse.
Amber's face went pale.
"Turn it off!""
The mechanic had already pressed the ignition button.
The engine coughed.
A sharp metallic noise came from beneath the casing.
Michael Brooks rushed forward.
"Kill the ignition!""
The mechanic switched it off.
A thin trail of smoke rose from the engine.
Everyone stepped back.
Michael examined the display.
"There's a serious electrical fault.""
Amber looked at Richard.
"You knew.""
Richard said nothing.
Amber pointed toward the engine.
"Someone bypassed the original protection system.""
Michael nodded.
"She's right. If that system had been fully disabled, the engine could have suffered catastrophic damage.""
Victoria stared at her father.
"You knew the bike wasn't safe?""
Richard's voice rose.
"I knew exactly what I was doing.""
Isabella stepped forward.
"What does that mean?""
Richard looked around.
Then he made a decision.
"Enough. This gathering is over.""
He turned toward Amber.
"You will never touch that motorcycle again.""
Amber looked at the smoking engine.
Then she noticed something.
The small triangular symbol beneath the casing had shifted slightly.
A thin metal compartment was visible behind it.
She could barely believe what she was seeing.
The hidden compartment.
The sequence.
The original data.
Before she could reach it, Richard stepped between her and the motorcycle.
"Get away from it.""
Amber stared at him.
"You're afraid of what's inside.""
Richard's expression hardened.
"You're making a very dangerous mistake.""
Amber didn't move.
Then Victoria spoke.
"Let her look.""
Richard turned.
"Victoria, stay out of this.""
"No.""
Victoria stepped beside Amber.
"You lied to me about the motorcycle. You lied about Daniel. And now you're trying to stop her from inspecting it.""
Richard's face darkened.
"Get inside.""
Victoria shook her head.
"Not until you tell me the truth.""
Richard looked at his daughter for a long moment.
Then he leaned toward her and whispered something.
Amber couldn't hear the words.
But she saw Victoria's expression change.
Her lips parted.
Her eyes filled with terror.
And when Richard stepped away, Victoria turned toward Amber.
"Amber...""
"What?""
Victoria swallowed.
"My father just told me that if you open that compartment, you'll discover what really happened to yours.""
She stopped.
Amber stepped closer.
"To my what?""
May you like
Victoria looked toward the motorcycle.
"Your father's original prototype wasn't the only thing he hid.""
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