Chapter 4 - A DEATH CERTIFICATE SIGNED TOO EARLY
My death certificate was dated twelve hours before the Coast Guard ended the search for my body.
Signed by Dr. Elias Crane.
Witnessed by Nathan Bellmont.
Filed through a private jurisdiction our legal team used for overseas assets.
"Cause of death: thermal trauma and drowning."
"No body. No autopsy."
Vanessa said, "There was DNA." Ethan looked at her. "How do you know?"
"You were twenty-four when I disappeared. Did your father tell you what he did?"
"He told me you died."
"That wasn't my question."
"He said the family had enemies. He said details were sealed."
"Did he tell you about the founder shares?"
"Did he tell you about midnight?"
"You think walking in with an old necklace makes you CEO again?"
"No."
"This makes me difficult to erase."
The board's emergency counsel, Rachel Wynn, arrived by video.
She confirmed Founder Protocol suspended all transfers for seventy-two hours pending identity verification.
"Then verify me."
"DNA. Fingerprints. historical medical records."
"Do it."
"She could be an impostor."
"Then you should welcome testing."
While medical staff treated my ankle, I looked around the command room.
The founder wall screens still pulled old archival files.
Then I found a protected directory.
AB PRIVATE - RESTRICTED.
Inside were eleven files I had created before the yacht explosion.
The first ten were financial audits.
The eleventh was titled:
IF NATHAN TRIES TO REMOVE ME.
Vanessa stood. "Don't open that."
"Why?"
It was a voice memo in my own voice.
"If you are hearing this, Nathan knows I discovered Blue Meridian."
Blue Meridian.
A shell company.
A hidden account.
May you like
And a dead employee I had promised to protect.
"If I disappear, do not trust Corporate Security."
