"I don't know, son."
Arthur's voice became quieter.
"But I remember one thing. The night before Robert died, he asked me to promise that I would never let anyone use this company to divide our family."
Daniel looked at his father.
"Why didn't you tell me about Henry before?"
"Because I thought he was gone forever."
The car continued toward the city.
But Daniel's thoughts had already traveled somewhere else.
At Bennett Global Corporation, James Carter was waiting in his office.
When Daniel and Arthur arrived, Victoria was already there.
She stood beside the conference table, looking at a series of printed records.
"Did you find Peter?" James asked.
Daniel placed the final page on the table.
"We did."
James studied the document.
"Then we finally have the missing page."
"We also have another problem," Daniel said.
He explained the note Margaret had left.
When he mentioned Henry Walker, James's expression changed.
"Henry Walker?"
Arthur looked at him.
"You know that name?"
James hesitated.
"My father used to mention him. He said Henry had access to the original company registry before the restructuring."
"Did your father ever say he was involved?"
"No. But he told me that Henry left suddenly after a dispute with Robert."
Victoria stepped closer.
"Could Henry have changed the records?"
James nodded slowly.
"It's possible. He had access to the documents, and he understood the company's legal structure."
Daniel looked at Victoria.
"Can you find him?"
"I can try."
James opened his laptop.
"Before we do that, there's something else. The original digital registry shows that the permanent transfer was entered into the system using an administrative authorization code."
"Whose code?" Daniel asked.
James turned the laptop toward him.
The name appeared on the screen.
PETER LAWSON.
Daniel's expression hardened.
"He told us he only discovered the alteration."
James shook his head.
"That doesn't necessarily mean he made the change. But he was the account holder."
Arthur looked at the screen.
"Then we need to speak to him again."
Victoria picked up her phone.
"Wait. I may be able to find something."
She searched through an archive of old internal emails.
After several minutes, she stopped.
"I found it."
"What?" Daniel asked.
"A message from Richard to Thomas Reed. It was sent two days after the transfer."
She read aloud.
"Peter has entered the final record. Make sure he understands that the matter is closed. Henry will handle the remaining signature."
Arthur's face changed.
"Henry."
James leaned forward.
"Keep reading."
Victoria continued.
"Richard's reply says: 'Once Henry confirms the witness section, there will be nothing left to challenge.'"
Daniel stared at the screen.
"So Peter entered the record, Thomas prepared the false transfer, and Henry supplied the witness confirmation."
Arthur slowly sat down.
"Margaret trusted Henry."
James opened another file.
"There is a second email. It was sent several months later."
Victoria read it.
"Henry has requested additional payment. He says he still has the original documents and wants protection."
Daniel clenched his jaw.
"Richard paid him to stay silent."
"Apparently," James replied.
Arthur closed his eyes.
"My wife spent years believing her brother had simply abandoned the family."
Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll find him."
James looked at the old correspondence.
"There's a telephone number in the archived file. It may still be active."
Victoria entered it into her phone.
She waited.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Then a man's voice answered.
"Hello?"
Victoria glanced at Daniel.
"Is this Henry Walker?"
A pause.
"Who is asking?"
"My name is Victoria Hayes. I represent Bennett Global Corporation."
The line went quiet.
Then the man spoke.
"I have nothing to do with Bennett Global."
Daniel leaned toward the phone.
"Hello, Uncle Henry."
There was a long silence.
Then a voice, older and shaken, whispered:
"Daniel?"
Arthur closed his eyes.
Henry continued.
"Is Arthur with you?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"Then I suppose the past has finally found us."
Daniel's voice was firm.
"We need to meet."
Henry exhaled.
"Not at the company."
"Where?"
"At the old Bennett house. Tomorrow morning. Bring your father."
Daniel looked at Arthur.
Henry added one final sentence.
"And Daniel, whatever you think you know about your grandfather, you don't know the whole story."
The call ended.
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then Arthur slowly stood.
"Tomorrow," he said.
Daniel nodded.
"Tomorrow."
But none of them could have imagined that the meeting would reveal a truth even more painful than the theft of the shares.
Because the secret had not begun with Richard Collins.
It had begun long before Daniel was born.
The old Bennett family house stood on a quiet street lined with trees.
It was smaller than Daniel remembered.
He had not visited in years.
The white paint had faded, the garden had grown wild, and the wooden gate creaked when Arthur pushed it open.
"This place hasn't changed much," Daniel said.
Arthur looked toward the front porch.
"Your grandfather built it with his own hands."
"He was an engineer, wasn't he?"
"He was many things. An engineer, a businessman, a stubborn old man, and the best father I could have asked for."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"He used to say that a house should be built to protect the people inside it, not to impress the people outside."
Daniel looked at the old windows.
"I wish I had known him better."
Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder.
"He would have liked the man you've become."
They heard a car approaching.
A dark sedan stopped outside the gate.
An elderly man stepped out.
He was thin, with gray hair and a walking stick. His face showed the marks of many difficult years.
Arthur recognized him immediately.
"Henry."
Henry stopped.
For a moment, the two brothers-in-law simply looked at each other.
Then Henry lowered his head.
"Arthur."
Arthur's voice was quiet.
"You've been gone a long time."
"I know."
"Margaret waited for you."
Henry's eyes filled.
"I know that too."
Daniel stepped forward.
"You're my uncle."
Henry looked at him.
"Yes."
"Why did you leave?"
Henry looked toward the house.
"Because I was ashamed."
They entered the living room.
The furniture was covered with white sheets. A clock on the wall had stopped at 4:17. Dust lay across the shelves.
Henry sat down slowly.
Arthur remained standing.
"Tell us what happened."
Henry placed his walking stick beside him.
"Your father and I were never close," he began, looking at Arthur. "But Margaret tried to keep us together. She believed that family should never be abandoned because of disagreement."
Arthur said nothing.
Henry continued.
"When Robert and Edward Collins founded the company, they made a promise. The business would never become a weapon against the people who built it. Robert believed that promise more than he believed in money."
Daniel listened carefully.
"Then why did you help Richard?"
Henry looked down at his hands.
"Because I was angry."
"Angry about what?"
"Your grandfather refused to give me a larger position. He said I was talented but lacked patience. He said I wanted the rewards of leadership without understanding the responsibilities."
Arthur shook his head.
"Robert was right."
Henry nodded.
"Yes. He was."
He looked at Daniel.
"After Robert died, I believed the company would fall apart. Richard Collins approached me and said he wanted to protect his father's legacy. He promised that if I helped him recover control, he would make me a major shareholder."
Daniel's voice was cold.
"So you helped him steal my father's shares."
Henry closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Arthur turned away.
"Margaret trusted you."
"I know."
"She called you her little brother even after you left."
"I know."
"She kept your photograph in her bedroom."
Henry began to cry.
"I know, Arthur."
Arthur looked at him.
"Then why?"
Henry wiped his face.
"Because I was weak. Because I wanted to prove Robert wrong. Because I wanted someone powerful to tell me I was important."
Daniel stepped closer.
"Did you forge Grandpa's signature?"
Henry shook his head.
"No. Thomas did that."
"Did you know?"
"Yes."
"Did you know my mother was listed as a witness?"