Victoria Ashford sat alone in her father's private study.
The room was decorated with dark wooden furniture, expensive paintings, and shelves containing books about finance, politics, and corporate strategy.
Victor Ashford stood beside the window, speaking on the phone.
"No," he said sharply. "I want the documents recovered before Blackwood discovers their significance."
He listened.
"I don't care how much it costs. Find someone who can do the job."
He ended the call.
Then he noticed Victoria sitting in the corner.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough."
Victor's expression darkened.
"This is a private matter."
"Apparently, it's a private matter involving Davis Blackwood."
Her father said nothing.
Victoria stood.
"Why are you interested in him?"
"Because he has acquired assets that should never have returned to the market."
"That's not an answer."
Victor walked toward his desk.
"You're young, Victoria. There are things about business that you don't understand."
She laughed bitterly.
"You always say that when you don't want to answer a question."
His eyes hardened.
"Be careful."
Victoria didn't retreat.
"I saw the way you reacted when I told you about the auction box. You knew what it was."
Victor's jaw tightened.
"Where is it?"
"Davis has it."
"Did you see him open it?"
"No."
"Did he mention the contents?"
"He said it was connected to his family."
When he opened them, his expression had changed.
"Listen to me carefully. You will not contact Davis Blackwood again."
Victoria stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
She shook her head.
"That's not good enough."
Victor stepped closer.
"Your grandfather built this family through sacrifice. Everything you possess exists because people made difficult decisions. Some of those decisions were unpleasant."
Victoria felt a chill.
"What decisions?"
Victor looked away.
"Decisions you don't need to understand."
For the first time, Victoria wondered whether the wealth she had grown up enjoying had been built on someone else's suffering.
She left the study without another word.
Upstairs, she entered her bedroom and closed the door.
Then she opened her laptop.
She searched for the Blackwood family.
Old newspaper articles appeared.
Photographs of Davis's parents.
Reports about the collapse of Blackwood Holdings.
Articles describing the fatal accident that had killed them.
One headline caught her attention.
BLACKWOOD HOLDINGS COLLAPSES AFTER DISPUTE WITH PRIVATE INVESTMENT GROUP.
The article mentioned several companies.
One was Meridian Capital.
Another was Sterling International.
Victoria stared at the screen.
Her own family had been connected to the company that had taken control of Blackwood's assets.
She continued searching.
Eventually, she found an old photograph of her father standing beside Davis's father at a business conference.
They appeared to be close friends.
The photograph had been taken less than a year before the accident. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Victoria leaned back.
What had happened between them?
And why had her father spent years warning her not to discuss the Blackwood family?
She looked at Davis's photograph.
He was younger in the picture, standing beside his parents.
For the first time, she felt something more complicated than curiosity.
She felt guilt.
She didn't know whether her father had done anything wrong.
But she knew that Davis deserved answers.
She picked up her phone and typed a message.
Davis, I think my father knows more about your family's history than he's willing to admit. We need to talk.
She hesitated.
Then she sent it.
Across the city, Davis received the message while examining the archive box.
He read it twice.
Victoria Ashford was offering to help him investigate her own father.
That could be a trap.
Or it could be the first genuine lead he had received.
The system chimed.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE.]
Quest: Uncover the truth behind the Ashford family's connection to Blackwood Holdings.
Potential Reward: Family Legacy Key — Second Fragment.
Davis looked at the message again.
Then he replied.
Tomorrow. Somewhere private. Choose the location.
Victoria answered almost immediately.
The old botanical gardens. Ten o'clock.
Davis put his phone away.
The mystery surrounding his family was becoming more dangerous.
But for the first time, someone connected to his enemies might be willing to help him.
And that changed everything.