Chapter 1 - The Name in the File
Adrian stared at the personnel file on his computer screen with growing disbelief.
The name Julian Keane felt heavy in his mind.
He leaned back in his leather chair and rubbed his temples as an uncomfortable memory resurfaced.
Four years ago, he had walked into his father's study unannounced and interrupted a furious argument.
His father had been shouting at Arthur Vance, the family's deeply trusted and highly ruthless corporate attorney.
The moment Adrian had entered the room, both men had fallen completely silent.
The only thing Adrian had heard before the silence was his father cursing the name Julian.
His father had passed away shortly after that argument, and the name had never been mentioned again.
Adrian looked away from his screen and stared out the window at the pouring rain.
He had initially intended to simply put a few thousand dollars in an envelope and leave it anonymously in Marissa's coat pocket.
But the discovery of her late husband's name changed everything.
Adrian needed to know if the woman scrubbing his floors was secretly connected to his family's past.
He waited until Marissa finished her shift at five o'clock and walked out the front door.
He gave her a ten-minute head start before getting into his personal car and following her GPS coordinates.
The drive took him far away from his wealthy neighborhood and into a rundown, industrial part of Boston.
He parked his luxury sedan half a block away from the crumbling apartment building where she lived.
Through the heavy rain, he watched Marissa walk up to the front entrance of the dilapidated complex.
Before she could reach the door, a sleek black town car abruptly pulled up to the curb.
Adrian held his breath as the rear door of the town car opened.
Arthur Vance stepped out onto the wet sidewalk, holding a black umbrella.
Adrian felt a cold knot form in his stomach as he watched his family's attorney approach his housekeeper.
Marissa did not look surprised to see the powerful lawyer.
Instead, she looked completely terrified.
She reached into her oversized gray coat with trembling hands.
She pulled out a worn, heavy blue envelope and handed it to Arthur without saying a single word.
Arthur snatched the envelope, said something that made Marissa flinch, and reached into his jacket pocket.
He pulled out a few crumpled bills and threw them onto the wet pavement at her feet.
It was exactly twenty-eight dollars.
Marissa dropped to her knees in the rain to gather the money while Arthur turned to get back into his car.
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As the wind blew Arthur's coat open, Adrian's blood ran completely cold.
Arthur was casually holding a suppressed pistol in his left hand.
