Anastasia’s POV
I reached out to the safe and tried to unlock it but to no avail.
I tried searching for clues around the office like they do in the movies, hoping to find a lead. As if it would produce any result.
I moved back to the safe and started trying various combinations of numbers that could be the answer. But neither my mom’s, mine, or his birthday was the answer. I tried my parents’ anniversary date too, but no luck still.
After being in deep thought for a moment, that day stood out. “No, it couldn’t be,” I carefully pressed the buttons ……. 1…7…9…4…8…7.
A beeping sound is followed by a final louder click as the door of the safe opens. I scoff, ” I can’t believe he actually used that,”
A
The safe reveals a brown envelope and a key. I carefully removed the and examined it for familiarity before placing it back. I gently removed the envelope from the safe and closed the cafe back. I walked back to my desk examining the envelope. It read confidential in red ink on the back of the envelope.
A gentle knock on the door distracts me from the envelope. I quickly hid the envelope in the drawer “Ma, this is the file of the investors,” Mike says, putting the file forward with his hands.
“Alright,” I collected the envelope and sat down to check it. While going through it, a name, surprisingly, stood out.
“Huh?! Blake was part of the investors?” I raised my gaze and looked at Mike.
“Oh yes ma, Mr Harry informed us about his investment a few months back, but that’s all I know about it,” he responds. We’re doing
Well, that’s a very odd thing. How could Blake have invested in Dad’s company? I wasn’t even informed by either of them. Why did they keep it a secret?
“Miss rAnastasia, is there anything else you need before I leave for the day?” he asked, trying to be respectful at the same time worried, bringing me out of my trance.
I hesitated, my mind racing. “Mike,” I began, choosing my words carefully, “is there anything else you noticed over the last few months? Anything unusual or any significant changes that might have slipped under the radar?”
He frowned slightly, thinking. “Nothing that I can recall, ma’am. But, as I mentioned earlier, the financial controller made some changes with Mr. Harry’s authorization. I wasn’t involved in those decisions.”
His response only made my worry worsen. Something wasn’t right, it felt off, and I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. My mind kept returning to the envelope, the sealed contents now more of a mystery than ever.
I nodded slowly, forcing a smile. “Alright, thank you, Mike. But before you leave, could you kindly please arrange an impromptu board meeting with all the department heads tomorrow morning? As early as 7 a. m.,” I added, seeing his eyebrows raise in surprise.
“Of course, ma’am,” he replied, his professionalism returning. “I’ll make sure everyone is informed.”
“Thank you,” I said, my tone dismissive. Mike nodded and left, closing the door softly behind him.
As soon as he was gone, I drifted my gaze back to the drawer where I had hidden the envelope earlier. My fingers were vibrating with the urge to open it, but I hesitated, feeling worried and having a sense of fear in me. What could be in there that was so confidential? Why was it hidden away in a safe?
I breathed in and out, in and out, trying to calm my nerves. There was no point in delaying what was sure to happen. If there was something in that envelope that could probably help me understand what was happening, I needed to see it. At the same time, it could be anything but the company issues but, I know that the content of what is in there could change things.
I opened the drawer with much caution and got the envelope. I rub the surface of the paper, which felt quite light but for a moment I held a very significant piece of paper in my hand. I had taken a careful inhale and exhale and then I slowly removed the sealed cover.
Whenever I put my fingers into the envelop to retrieve the documents, I felt my heart beating faster. The first had been a letter, written on a neat, legal-sized piece of company letterhead. My eyes passed through the electronic text looking for the letter forms while they ran words together.
“Dear Mr. Sinclair,” said the letter, “In response to your request as of April 1st the following changes to the company financial structure have been made…”
One paper after another, one sentence after the other word after the other, one signature after the other. It all felt more like parts from a jigsaw I was to never assemble. Reading all the produced documents they contained a lot of legal and financial terms which might have escaped my attention if it were not for the many references to the Sinclair firm. From these archives, Blake’s name featured several times with some actions that seemed not to be characteristic of my father.
I realised that my hands were shaking at the wrists as I nervously tried to search for the facts out of this sudden revelation. The more I read, the surer I was getting that Blake was quite invested in this particular undertaking right from the beginning. But why hadn’t my father said it all to me? But, most importantly, I had no answers to why Blake had not informed me about all this.
I tried to come up with so many questions in my mind one question would lead to another question that had me even more confused. It troubled me, and I could not put my finger on it, whether something much more dangerous was happening. My father had been conservative, he only moved when he had well calculated his next step in business.
As I reached the final document, my eyes widened in shock. It was a formal contract, signed by both my father and Blake, confirming Blake’s significant investment in the company. But the terms… they were outrageous. It was almost as if my father had signed over control to Blake, giving him the power to make critical decisions without consulting anyone else. How could my father have agreed to this?
I leaned back in my chair, the weight of the realization pressing down on me. Blake had been playing a game all along, one that I had been completely unaware of. And now, the company, my father’s legacy, was on the brink of collapse, all because of Blake’s reckless decisions.
This couldn’t continue. I had to confront him, get to the bottom of why he did this. What was his motive? Did he want to ruin everything my father had built? And if so, why?
But first, I needed to think. I needed to gather my thoughts, prepare myself for what was to come. The meeting with the department heads tomorrow would be the first step. I needed to figure out how much they knew and how much Blake had kept hidden from them as well.
I took a deep breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders. The answers were out there, I just needed to find them. And Blake… he would have to answer for what he had done. There was no other way.
I placed the documents back into the envelope, sealing it with a resolve that matched the storm brewing inside me. Tomorrow, I would start uncovering the truth, and Blake would have no choice but to face me. I wouldn’t rest until I understood why he had betrayed me, betrayed my father.
I got up from the desk, could feel the chill in the room as I crossed the floor and looked out of the window. The reflected stars of the city did not care about the storm inside of me, but tomorrow would be a new day. But tomorrow, things will be different. Tomorrow, the truth will start to come out.
For now, I needed rest. I needed to be at my best to face whatever was coming next. But one thing was certain: Blake wouldn’t get away with this. Not if I had anything to do with it.
I fixed the blinds closing them over the city and the darkness that was my reality now. That was tomorrow; today was today, and I was more than prepared to go up against whatever that day had in store for me.