Chapter 6: The Name in the Photograph

The photograph stayed in Sandra's mind all night. Even after she returned to her apartment. Even after she changed into comfortable clothes and attempted to distract herself with television. Nothing worked. She kept seeing Fredie's expression. The sadness. The loneliness. The way he had hidden the photograph the moment she noticed it. Who was that man? And why did the thought of him seem to haunt Fredie? By midnight, Sandra finally gave up trying to sleep. She grabbed her laptop. Just one quick search. That was all. A few minutes later, dozens of articles filled her screen. Most focused on Kingston Global's success. Others highlighted Fredie's achievements. Then one headline caught her attention. THE KINGSTON BROTHERS: THE DUO WHO BUILT AN EMPIRE Sandra clicked immediately. A photograph appeared. Her breath caught. The second man from the frame. The man standing beside Fredie. His brother. Ethan Kingston. Sandra leaned closer. The article described Ethan as a brilliant entrepreneur and future leader of the company. But as she continued reading, the tone changed. Eight years ago, Ethan had died unexpectedly in a car accident. The article offered few details. Very few. In fact, almost too few. Sandra frowned. For someone from one of the wealthiest families in the country, the coverage felt strangely limited. As if people had deliberately stopped talking about it. The more she read, the more questions she had. And very few answers. --- The next morning, Sandra arrived at work earlier than usual. She hoped a busy schedule would keep her mind occupied. Unfortunately, curiosity was proving difficult to ignore. By lunchtime, she found herself standing near the archives department. A section of the building rarely visited by ordinary employees. Sandra wasn't planning to do anything wrong. She simply wanted information. Public information. Nothing more. At least that was what she told herself. Inside, shelves of old company records stretched across the room. The smell of paper and dust filled the air. Sandra located a terminal and typed a name. Ethan Kingston. Several files appeared. Most were standard corporate documents. Meeting summaries. Project reports. Investment records. Then something unusual caught her eye. One file was marked: ACCESS RESTRICTED Sandra hesitated. Why would a file about a man who died eight years ago still be restricted? Before she could think further, a voice startled her. "You shouldn't be here." Sandra nearly jumped from her chair. An older woman stood nearby. Silver hair. Kind eyes. The same accounting employee who had warned her before. "You scared me." The woman glanced at the screen. The color immediately drained from her face. "Ethan Kingston." Sandra noticed her reaction. "You knew him?" The woman's expression tightened. "Everyone knew him." "What happened to him?" A long silence followed. The woman looked around carefully before speaking. "They said it was an accident." "They said?" The woman swallowed. Then lowered her voice. "Some people never believed that." Sandra's pulse quickened. Before she could ask another question, footsteps echoed from the hallway. The older woman immediately stepped back. Fear flashed across her face. "Forget this conversation." Then she hurried away. Leaving Sandra more confused than ever. --- Meanwhile, on the executive floor, Vanessa Hart reviewed a report. Her assistant stood nearby. "The new employee has been asking questions." Vanessa looked up. "What kind of questions?" The assistant hesitated. "Ethan Kingston." The room fell silent. Vanessa slowly closed the report. Her eyes hardened. "Interesting." "Should we be concerned?" Vanessa stood and walked toward the window. Below, the city stretched endlessly. Power. Money. Control. Things she had spent years protecting. "No," she said finally. "But keep watching her." "And if she keeps digging?" Vanessa's reflection stared back from the glass. Cold. Calculating. "Then we'll deal with it." --- Later that afternoon, Sandra received an unexpected email. Sender: CEO Office. Subject: Meeting. Her stomach immediately tightened. Again? The email contained only one sentence. Come to my office at 4:00 PM. No explanation. No details. Just a request. Or perhaps an order. At exactly four o'clock, Sandra found herself standing outside Fredie's office. She knocked. "Come in." Inside, Fredie sat behind his desk. Several files lay open before him. One of them looked suspiciously familiar. Sandra froze. It was her employee file. Fredie noticed her reaction. "Relax." "Easier said than done." To her surprise, he smiled. A genuine smile this time. Brief but real. "Fair point." Sandra sat. A strange silence followed. Then Fredie's expression became serious. "How is the project progressing?" Relief washed through her. Work. This was about work. Good. Much safer territory. They spent several minutes discussing the campaign. Ideas. Deadlines. Strategies. Sandra gradually relaxed. Until Fredie asked a question she wasn't expecting. "Have you been looking into my brother?" The world seemed to stop. Her heart slammed against her ribs. Fredie's gaze remained calm. Steady. Waiting. Sandra's mind raced. How did he know? Had someone told him? Had she been seen in the archives? A thousand possibilities flashed through her head. Finally, she managed to speak. "Why would you ask that?" For a moment, neither moved. Then Fredie reached into a drawer. Slowly, he removed the framed photograph. The same one she had seen the night before. He placed it on the desk between them. Ethan smiled back from the picture. Young. Confident. Alive. Fredie's voice was quieter than she had ever heard it. "Because lately," he said, "people who ask about Ethan tend to end up in danger." Sandra felt a chill run through her entire body. And something told her he wasn't joking.