Chapter 4 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE COUNTER
Helen had worked with me for six years.
She had handled Aura's books from the first month.
She had been there when we almost closed.
When the ovens broke.
When the health inspector threatened to shut us down.
When I worked fourteen-hour days.
I trusted her.
Now I wasn't sure what was real anymore.
Daniel and I returned to Aura.
The restaurant was closed for the afternoon.
David had sent everyone home.
I found Helen sitting alone in my office.
She looked exhausted.
“You knew.”
She didn't deny it.
“Yes.”
“Who are you?”
She looked at me.
“My name is Amelia Reeves.”
My knees almost gave out.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because telling you would have put you in danger.”
“I'm already in danger.”
She lowered her eyes.
“I know.”
“Did you own this building?”
“Once.”
“Does Aura belong to you?”
“No.”
I frowned.
“Then why did my father-in-law's company hold it?”
“Because your father-in-law wanted to protect me.”
I stared at her.
“From Richard Miller?”
She nodded.
“Richard wasn't the only person after me.”
“Who else?”
She hesitated.
“Theresa.”
I felt my chest tighten.
“My mother-in-law?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew I existed.”
I couldn't speak.
Helen—or Amelia—continued.
“Your husband doesn't know everything.”
“What does he know?”
“He knows Crown Harbor exists.”
“That's all?”
“He believes the company belongs to his family.”
“It doesn't.”
“No.”
“Then why did he transfer Aura?”
“He was trying to force the company into his control.”
“Why?”
“Because he was desperate.”
“For money?”
“For survival.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
She looked toward the window.
“Mark owes people.”
“What people?”
“People much more dangerous than Chloe.”
My stomach dropped.
“How much?”
“Enough to destroy him.”
Daniel asked,
“Who are they?”
Amelia shook her head.
“I don't know their names.”
“That's not true.”
She looked at him.
“You're a lawyer.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know that sometimes people disappear without leaving names.”
Silence.
I sat across from her.
“What happened to your father?”
“My father died because he tried to expose them.”
“And Richard Miller?”
“He was killed because he helped.”
“Why did your father-in-law protect you?”
“Because he was responsible.”
“For what?”
Amelia's eyes filled with tears.
“He helped create the company that became Crown Harbor.”
I waited.
“He thought he could control the money.”
“He couldn't?”
“No.”
“Who could?”
She whispered,
“Theresa.”
My blood ran cold.
“What?”
“Theresa controlled the accounts.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“She doesn't even understand business.”
“She understands people.”
Amelia looked directly at me.
“And she has spent twenty years pretending she doesn't.”
I suddenly remembered every conversation.
Every time Theresa had asked about Aura.
Every time she had demanded access.
Every time Mark had told me to "just give Mom what she wants."
It had never been random.
She had been searching.
“What was she looking for?”
Amelia smiled bitterly.
“The ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“The original Crown Harbor ledger.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“What does it contain?”
“Every transaction.”
“Every account?”
“Yes.”
“Every name?”
“Yes.”
I whispered,
“Where is it?”
Amelia looked at me.
“You have it.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
She pointed toward the wall.
“The brick compartment.”
I remembered the metal box.
The photographs.
The letter.
“The box?”
“No.”
“The ledger wasn't inside.”
“Exactly.”
She smiled.
“It was never supposed to be.”
Daniel stood.
“Then where?”
Amelia looked toward the kitchen.
“The old oven.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“When Aura was renovated, the original commercial oven was replaced.”
I nodded.
“We still keep the old one in storage.”
“Where?”
“Basement.”
We ran downstairs.
The old oven sat beneath a tarp.
Daniel pulled it aside.
Amelia pointed.
“Behind the control panel.”
We unscrewed it.
A thin black book fell out.
No label.
No title.
Just a leather cover.
I opened it.
Pages of handwritten numbers.
Names.
Dates.
Accounts.
Then I saw something that made my blood freeze.
A payment.
Twenty-two years ago.
To a hospital.
The name beside it was:
ELENA CARTER.
I stared at it.
“What?”
Daniel took the ledger.
“Why would Crown Harbor pay for you?”
I shook my head.
“I don't know.”
Amelia looked at me strangely.
Then she asked,
“What year were you born?”
I told her.
Her face went pale.
“That can't be.”
“What?”
She flipped through the ledger.
Then stopped.
A second payment.
Same hospital.
Same year.
Different name.
AMELIA REEVES.
I stared at her.
“Why were our hospital bills paid by the same company?”
Nobody answered.
Then Daniel whispered,
“Elena…”
He looked at the ledger.
“There are two birth certificates referenced here.”
I frowned.
“Two?”
He pointed.
“One for Amelia.”
Then he pointed to the second.
“One for you.”
My heart stopped.
“That's impossible.”
Amelia looked at me.
And for the first time since I met her...
She looked terrified.
“Unless…”
She couldn't finish.
Daniel did.
“Unless the two of you were connected before either of you could remember.”
Suddenly the lights went out.
The basement fell into darkness.
Amelia gasped.
Then we heard footsteps upstairs.
Slow.
Heavy.
Someone was inside Aura.
Daniel whispered,
“Stay here.”
I grabbed his arm.
“No.”
The footsteps came closer.
Then a voice echoed down the stairwell.
May you like
“Where is the ledger?”
Theresa.
