Chapter 15

Chapter 15
ELENA DUVAL

I glanced at the time on my phone. It was a few minutes past the hour of three. I took in a deep breath, sipping from the glass of water on the table.

I couldn't keep calm and I couldn't seem to stop my racing heart either. I tried to distract myself from the train of thoughts with the beautiful fountain almost at the center of Mr Richardson's home. It was beautiful. We had one like that in my family's villa in Texas.

I was currently at Mr Richardson Villa. After I literally ambushed him in the parking lot, I suggested we go to a nearby restaurant to talk, but he insisted we go somewhere private. Somewhere safer.

I rubbed my palms against one another, while I waited for him outside under the shade. And I straightened my shoulder as I saw him approach me with a brown envelope.

“Elena,” He called my name as he settled in his chair and I leaned forward.

“Mr Richardson,”

“Please let's drop the formalities, call me as you've always,” He placed the brown paper on the table, leaning deeper into his seat as he stared at me. “I'm really glad to see you again, Elena. Safe and well,”

“You're right Mr Richardson—” I paused, “Uncle Frank, I am alive, safe, and well, but I don't know if I can say the same about Zoey and Chloe,”

“They are still missing,” He sighed and I nodded. “Two years is a long time Elena, I tried looking for them after Luther's passing, but I couldn't find them—”

“I know they are still alive Uncle Frank, somewhere waiting for me to find them,” I pushed the glass of water aside. “But that's not why I came to find you. It's about my Dad's company, D&M Corporation,” I watched him sigh again but I continued. “I was in an accident and I honestly don't remember anything from the last two years, except the fact that Dad would never approve a merger with the Whitmans, that company meant so much to him and you know it. I want to know what happened two years ago, please uncle, Dad trusted you and you were his lawyer, you must know something,”

He sighed again, running his finger on the folded lines of his forehead. “Elena, it's been two years, your parents are dead, and your sisters are missing but you're still alive and married to one of the most important men in the country. Consider that as a blessing and live your life as quietly as possible, don't go looking for trouble. Luther wouldn't want that,”

I breathed in, raising a brow. “You know about my marriage to Dimitri Castello?”

“Yes, Luther had mentioned it, and after his passing, I found out Mr Castello was married. It was quiet, but at least it served its purpose and you're still alive,”

I exhaled silently, shaking my head. “I'm still alive? How does that even matter? Dad was framed for illegal dealings and fraud, the whole world thinks my parents committed suicide. My sisters are missing. The Duvals’ name is in the mud and our company now belongs to the Whitmans, this isn't living Uncle Frank, I need to know how D&M became the Whitmans,”

“Oh god Elena, you need to forget about the company, forget about everything. Don't start a war you can't win. Luther would have wanted—”

“I know what my Dad would have wanted. And this isn't it. I wouldn't be starting a war, if I'm just fighting for what's truly ours,”

“You have no idea who these people are. They are dangerous Elena, vicious and wouldn't think twice killing you to get what they want,” Mr Richardson said.

“These people? Who are they? The Whitmans?” I blinked confusedly.

He gave a sardonic laugh. “The Whitmans are the least of your worries. This runs deeper than you know. I don't know who these people are, but I do know they didn't think twice about destroying a family overnight or getting rid of whoever stands in their way,”

His words not only confused me, but it sent a shiver down my spine. I leaned back into my chair for a second, my brows crippled as I watched him. “These people, and the Whitmans, they killed my parents?”

“God, Elena, have you not been listening to anything I said? These aren't people you should mess with, including the Whitmans,”

I lifted my head a little, a thousand thoughts and questions now bursting through the fog of confusion in my mind. “How did D&M Corp end up with the Whitmans, I want to know that Uncle,”

“Elena—”

“Please,” I cut him off. “I want to know. Did Dad sign the merger?”

He stared briefly at me for a second before shaking his head and sighing. “He didn't. Luther would have rather died than do that,” He released a humorless chuckle. “And that's what happened exactly,”

I settled back on my seat, swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth. I knew I wouldn't like what I would hear today, but I needed to know what happened to our company, to my parents, and who did this to us. I needed to know.

“Your father called off the merger right after your engagement with Tyler Whitman broke off. And that's when everything went wrong. He had a big fight with Zach Whitman a few days before his death. It was about the company, and something he found out,”

“What did he find out?” I asked and Mr Richardson shook his head, not knowing.

“I don't know. He never told me. But that's when he asked me to prepare his will,”

“What?”

“Yes,” He nodded. “Your father asked me to prepare his will and a deed where he gave you, his first daughter sole rights to everything in the Duvals name. The house, all of the family assets, including the company,”

A cold air slid into my lungs in one swift inhale and I felt the chills in my bones. “Dad left the company in my name?”

“Yes, everything, including all your mother and his shares in the company. He had given you the managerial rights to the company,”

“How then did it become the Whitmans? There's no way I could have approved the merger,”

“You didn't, because the next day the lies about your father went viral and he was under investigation. And the day after that, he was said to have killed your mother and committed suicide, your sisters had suddenly vanished and you were sold off to only the heaven knew who,”

“He was under investigation, so someone must have found out about the fraud and illegal dealings. Someone must have known Dad was innocent," I said.

“He was labeled a thief, and a criminal. And these people have even the wealthy in their pockets. These aren't people you should mess with. You still being alive is a miracle, and all thanks to Mr Castello that's why your father ensured that marriage went through,”

I reached for the glass of water on the table, I tried to pick it up but I couldn't not with the uncontrollable manner my body was shaking.

“The bankruptcy? It was said that the company—” I started but Mr Richardson chuckled.

“That was a lie. The company was perfectly fine. Yes, it was affected by the rumors but that was what they needed to claim it and the bank and court seized everything else. With your parents dead, your sisters missing and you in distraught and in mourning, it was easier for them,”

I held my hand in the other. “You're saying back then if I had fought back for the company—”

“You would have gotten yourself killed, that's what I'm saying. And it's still the same now. These people did everything to get rid of your father, and starting unwanted trouble will only make you end up like Luther. Dead. Do you understand what I'm saying,”

“What I understand is that the Whitmans, and these people, destroyed my family all because of a company. Our company. They took everything away from us—”

“Elena,” His call was loud and sharp and as I stopped talking for a second and met his gaze, I could see the fear and concern in his eyes. “These people are not your match. Your father asked for help, even from the cops. Everyone that he met or communicated with in one way or the other ended up mysteriously dead. These people are much more dangerous than you think. I'm alive because I feigned ignorance. And that's one of the reasons they left you. Please child, please, let this go,”

“If I did, I don't think I'd be able to ever get some sleep knowing I didn't only fail my sisters but I failed Dad too,”

“They'll break you even before you start to walk,”

“I'm willing to risk that,” I said, keeping his gaze and meaning everything I said. “The Whitmans stole my company, and I must get it back. You said Dad transferred his shares to me. I need proof of my rights on those shares, uncle. That's the only way I can get into Krystal Group,”

“You're planning to go into the lion's den,”

“I'm planning on finding out what happened to my family,” I responded, leaning against the table. “I need the documents proving I'm a major shareholder of the former D&M Corp,”

“Elena this is crazy—”

“Uncle please, you have to help me,”

Mr Richardson voiced. “Even if I wanted to, I can't. I gave everything to Luther. It's either he gave them to you or someone else took it. Did he give them to you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to think but I couldn't get past the blankness in my memory. I couldn't tell if Dad had given me those documents or not. “I can't remember,” I said honestly.

“Then consider that a good thing,” He said.

But I ignored his words, thinking. “If Dad had given me then it's somewhere in my things, and I'll find it,”

“And what if he couldn't give you? What if someone else found it?”

“Then I'll find another way of getting into Krystal Group,” I said unyieldingly.

“You're as stubborn as Luther, and that isn't a compliment my child. Do you know what danger we could be in? Your life and mine could be at stake just by having this conversation,”

“And I'm truly sorry for dragging you back into this, I just had to know what happened to my family,”

He took a second to exhale, before sliding the brown envelope over to me on the table.

I sent him a curious glance.

“Luther's will. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea giving it to you before, and even now, but there's no point keeping it anymore,” As he spoke I brought my eyes to the brown envelope.

Slowly, I opened it, pulled out a paper and I read through it. Each word brought tears to my eyes. Uncle Frank was right, Dad had left my sisters and me everything. He had given me everything to protect our family, and I failed him for two years.

I couldn't stop the tears from rolling off my eyes. As I tried to put the paper back in the envelope, a key fell from the envelope. I threw another glance at Uncle Frank.

“What's this?”

“I don't know. He wanted me to give it to you. He said you'll know where it belongs to,”

I narrowed my eyes, bringing my attention back to the key. I'll know where it belongs to. I wasn't sure about that. If all our assets had been seized by the court or the bank, I didn't know if I could still find where this key belonged.

I placed it back into the envelope, standing up from my chair. “Thank you so much, Uncle Frank,”

“Are you still going through with this?”

“I don't have a choice, uncle. This has to do with my family. I'm so sorry for putting you through this again and I promise I won't bother—”

“Elena,” His call made me stop talking. “If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me,” He handed me his card. “If things get too tough, it's not a crime to let go of this revenge you're set on. And whatever you do, please ensure you stay alive, that's all Luther had wanted,”

His last words caused another tear to slip down my eyes, and I brushed it off with my palm.

“Thank you, and I promise, I'll keep in touch,” I said finally. “And this is far more than revenge. Dad trusted me to protect my sisters. He trusted me to protect his company but I failed. I'm done playing safe, I need to find my sisters, to find out who destroyed my family two years ago. I need to know why they came after Dad. What they truly wanted. And I swear I will, even if it means risking my life,”