Chapter 24

Chapter 24
A few days later, Liam called a board meeting

The safety report came out, and the results were just as they expected. 

“Mountain Top resort needs to be closed indefinitely,” Liam announced, leaning back in his chair.

“Do you know how much of a loss it would be for the company?” one of the shareholders snapped.

“Exactly,” another said. “It is one of our most profitable ventures. How can you just decide to shut it down on a whim?”

“Young people always want to leave their mark,” a senior executive added. “But Liam, you need to listen to us on this. You don’t understand the full picture yet.”

The room buzzed with frustration and discontent as shareholders and executives shared their thoughts.

Liam raised a hand, and the room went quiet.

Stella, who had been standing silently at his side, stepped forward and began distributing copies of the safety report. One to each executive and shareholder seated at the table.

The silence got louder as the men and women flipped through the pages. Their expressions shifted from pride to surprise and finally anger.

“As you can see,” Liam said evenly, “we have no choice but to temporarily shut it down. When I visited the resort, I had to save a young boy from falling into the lake. The railing had rotted away. If I hadn’t been there and something had happened to that child, what do you think the headlines would have read?”

They all stayed silent. Nobody needed to say anything.

“And that brings me to the next issue,”  Liam continued. “To my knowledge, the resort was renovated two years ago. Yet what I saw there…” He paused and looked around the room. “It was worse than before the repairs were done.”

“What are you trying to say?” Peter Carson asked, cutting in with a strained smile.

Liam’s lips lifted into a polite smile. “Nothing in particular. I just wonder. If the resort wasn’t renovated, then where did the money go?”

“I’ll arrange for an internal investigation,” Peter offered quickly, turning to his secretary.

“There’s no need,” Liam said. He gestured to Stella.

She stepped forward again, distributing another set of documents, thicker this time. They contained several pages of transactions, receipts, purchase orders, and invoices.

“I already had it investigated. I found where some of the money went. Apparently, it was a collision between the manager and the regional manager of Turner Corporation. They are both in police custody. And also the person who tried to kill me.”

A gasp rang through the room.

“Someone tried to kill you?”  one of the executives asked, standing up.

“Yes,” Liam said calmly. “After I discovered the discrepancies, I went down to investigate personally. On our way back, the brakes of my car were deliberately sabotaged. Someone leaked the brake fluid.”

A wave of murmurs surged again.

“The man is in police custody now,” Liam continued, “but he claims it was all his idea. And he acted alone, as to why. He didn’t say. I also wonder, I had never met him, why would he want to kill me out of the blue?”

His gaze landed squarely on Peter Carson.

“Uncle, what do you think?”

The room went dead silent. There was tension in the air, you could almost touch.

Peter Carson let out a low laugh that didn’t sound genuine. “Liam… do you think I’m the mastermind behind it? I’m your uncle.”

“I would hope not,” Liam replied quietly.

Stella watched on the side as sparks flew between them. 

In upper-class families, there was nothing like blood ties, only interests.

People are killed for a piece of bread, not to mention a billion-dollar corporation like Kings Corporation.

After the meeting, Liam and Stella returned to the office.

“Thank you for the past few days of overtime,” Liam said, stopping by her desk on his way out. “I wouldn’t have found the problem if it weren’t for you. Not to mention the trust behind it.”

“It’s what I should do,” Stella replied simply.

“You can take the rest of the day off. I’ll be stepping out for other engagements.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

But she waited till the end of the work day before packing her things as well. But instead of going home straight, she decided to walk by the river to clear her head.

The air was fresh. The water sparkled with the reflection of the streetlight. The tension of the past few days disappeared with each step. 

Eventually, hunger led her towards one of the food stops along the road. It was a popular fried chicken place she remembered passing before. The scent of crispy fried chicken and fries drew her in.

Inside, the restaurant was full and lively, and there was only one empty table near the window. She slid into it and called for a waiter.

The man who came over looked older, perhaps in his late thirties or forties. The moment his eyes landed on her, he froze. His pupils widened slightly, but he continued forward.

She looks a lot like an old friend. Lily Stanley.

He didn’t say anything.

He simply nodded, scribbled her order, and walked off.

When he brought her food, he secretly slipped something under her napkin. 

“Enjoy your meal,” he said, placing a glass of water and walking away. 

Stella ate slowly. The food was delicious and a little familiar. Like something she had eaten many years ago.

When she reached for the napkin to wipe her mouth, something fell out.

She looked down and picked it up from the table. 

It was a photo. 

It was old and slightly faded.

Her parents were in it, standing proudly outside the company building. Her mother was in a pretty floral dress, and her father was in his signature overalls, his arms wrapped around her.  Around them were familiar faces she had almost forgotten, and in a corner, playing with a toy car was a younger her.

Her eyes welled with tears.

She looked up. 

The man who had served her was standing behind the counter, looking directly at her. Their eyes met.

She stayed in her seat till all the customers left and the door closed. The shop was now quiet.

It was just her and the owner. 

The man finally walked over and pulled out the chair across from her.

“You’re Stella, right?” he asked quietly. “Their daughter.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “It’s been a long time, Uncle Kai.”

“I thought… I thought you died,” the man said tearfully. “You've grown so much. The last time I saw you, you reached just about here. And now… How is this even possible?”

“The day it happened, Aunty Wendy was around. She took me with her. We ran away to another country.”

Kai nodded. “It’s good you both are safe.” 

He was silent for a while, then said, “Actually, I knew what happened to your family wasn’t an accident.”

Stella looked up, surprised.

“Wait here.” He stood, and disappeared into the back room.

When he returned, he had a worn folder in his hands.

“Your father told me if anything ever happened to him, I should take this to the police,” he said, sliding the folder across the table. “But then I heard the news of his death and saw what was reported on the news. I knew I couldn’t bring it out.”

He took a deep breath. “The next day, I quit. Many people were quitting, too, so I didn’t stand out. I moved back here to inherit my parents' shop. But I still kept the folders, hoping that one day they’ll be useful.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I’ve also been doing some investigating on my own, and I added what I found, too.”

Finally, she had a lead.

A real lead.