Chapter 3
I wondered if Andy was doing it to punish his daughter, or punish me at the same time.
"Got any more questions?" Page asked, sounding a little impatient.
"One last question," I said.
I looked up into her eyes.
"Was the car crash ten years ago really an accident?"
Page's expression shifted suddenly.
Her gaze darted away, avoiding mine.
She said, "Of course it was an accident.
"The police closed the case, didn't they?"
Her reaction only made me more certain.
There was something shady about that car crash.
I was the scapegoat they set up to take the fall.
"Alright," I said.
I picked up the pen.
"I'll sign it."
Page let out a sigh of relief.
She thought I'd finally given in for 30 billion dollars.
I really needed the money.
But what I wanted even more was the truth.
I needed the truth about ten years ago, about Andy, and why I went to prison.
This agreement was my only ticket to getting closer to the truth.
I uncapped the pen, about to put my signature down.
But then my phone buzzed again.
This time, it wasn't a text.
It was a call from an unknown number.
I hesitated for a moment, then answered.
On the other end was an old, raspy voice.
"Harding Clark?"
"Yes."
"You're out of prison?"
"Yes."
The voice warned, "Stay away from that Stevens woman.
"She'll be the death of you.
"Just like her old man."
*****
The voice on the other end sent chills down my spine.
"Who are you?" I asked.
They hung up.
I tried calling back, but the number was no longer in service.
The room fell silent.
Page watched me, a hint of caution in her eyes.
"Who was that?" she asked.
I set my phone down without answering.
Instead, I took a closer look at Page.
"Stay away from that Stevens woman.
"She'll be the death of you.
"Just like her old man."
Those words hammered into my mind like a nail.
I wondered what that meant.
I wondered if she killed Andy and blamed it on me.
I wondered if Page actually killed her father.
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
"What are you thinking about?" Page asked.
Page looked uncomfortable, clearly unsettled by the way I was staring at her.
"Nothing," I said.
I looked away and picked up the pen again.
I wondered if I should sign or not.
If I signed, I might be stepping into a point of no return.
If I didn't, I'd lose my only shot at uncovering the truth.
My life could waste away in this crappy apartment that costs one hundred dollars a month.
I went all in.
Bracing myself, I scribbled my name onto the agreement.
My name flowed across the page, wild and confident.
It was the only thing I'd perfected in ten years of prison.
Page picked up the agreement and gave my signature a careful look.
Page' lips curled into a satisfied smile.
She said, "Good.
"From this moment on, you're officially my husband."
She said it so naturally, like this wasn't our first meeting, but as if we'd been together for years.
"What do I need to do?" I asked.
"First thing you need to do is get out of this dump," she said.
She stood up, walked over to the door, and swung it open.
"Mr. Santos, come in," she called.
A middle-aged man stepped inside.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses, a well-tailored suit, and carried a briefcase.
He glanced around the room, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes, but his professional smile quickly returned.
He greeted, "Hello, Mr. Clark.
"I'm Eddie Santos, head lawyer for the Stevens Group."
He reached out his hand.
I left him hanging.
"Why's he here?" I asked Page.
Page said, "Mr. Santos will help you with the rest of the paperwork.
"Like transferring 6 million dollars as your 'allowance' into your new account.
"And setting you up with a new identity."
"A new identity?" I asked.
"Yep," Page replied.
She folded her arms and leaned casually against the doorframe.
She said, "You're now the top shareholder of the Stevens Group, the guy inheriting 30 billion dollars."
"You can't be Harding Clark, the guy fresh out of prison, anymore.
"That would hurt the company's stock price."
Eddie opened his briefcase and took out a few documents and a small box.
He said, "Mr. Clark, these are your new ID, passport, and bank card.
"Your name hasn't changed, but we've 'optimized' your personal history and profile."