Evelyn felt the room grow colder.
"Rachel, what does that have to do with Horizon?"
"Everything."
"Explain."
Rachel took a breath.
"Twelve years ago, Sterling Capital transferred a large amount of investor money into a private development fund. The fund was supposed to finance several infrastructure projects. But the projects were never completed."
Evelyn listened without interrupting.
"Victor blamed Richard. Richard blamed the investment committee. The company settled the legal disputes, and everyone thought the matter was finished."
"Was it?"
"No."
Rachel's voice trembled.
"Some of the money was never recovered. I found records suggesting that a portion of it had been transferred into a holding account connected to Harrington Global."
Evelyn looked at the Horizon documents.
"How much?"
"I couldn't establish the exact figure. But it was more than twenty million dollars."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Twenty million.
The three million dollars missing from Horizon might only be a small part of a much larger operation.
"Why would they move that money now?"
"I think they needed to replace something."
"What?"
"I don't know."
Rachel paused.
Then she continued.
"But I remember hearing Victor say that the old account was becoming difficult to maintain. He said the Horizon project offered an opportunity to move the funds through legitimate investment channels."
Evelyn felt a chill run down her spine.
"So Horizon was being used to cover the missing money."
"That's what I suspected."
"Why didn't you report this to the authorities?"
"I did."
Evelyn froze.
"You did?"
"I sent everything I had to an independent financial investigator. Two weeks later, someone came to my apartment and told me to stop asking questions."
"Who?"
"I never saw his face clearly."
"Did you report the threat?"
Rachel laughed bitterly.
"To whom? The people I suspected were involved?"
Evelyn had no answer.
Rachel continued.
"Listen to me. I don't know what you've found, but you need to be careful. Richard isn't the only person involved."
"I know."
"No, Evelyn. I don't think you understand."
Rachel lowered her voice.
"Victor has friends in places you wouldn't expect. He knows people in the investment industry, the legal system, and private security. If he believes you have evidence, he won't simply wait for a board meeting."
Evelyn looked toward her apartment window.
The street outside was quiet.
"Rachel, I need you to help me."
"I can't."
"You're the only person who can explain what happened before Horizon."
"I have a family."
"I understand."
"No, you don't. You haven't seen what happened to people who got too close."
Evelyn remained silent.
Then Rachel said something else.
"There was another person who knew about the original account."
"Who?"
"Richard's daughter."
Evelyn frowned.
"Richard has a daughter?"
"Her name is Olivia Harrington."
Evelyn knew the name.
Olivia had been mentioned occasionally in company newsletters, but she had never met her. According to the limited information available, she lived abroad and had no involvement in the family business.
"Why would Olivia know anything?"
"Because she was working in Richard's private office when the Sterling Capital investigation began."
"Does she still work there?"
"No. She left shortly afterward."
"Where is she now?"
Rachel hesitated.
"I heard she returned to the country recently."
Evelyn's mind began racing.
"Do you know where?"
"No."
"Rachel, please. Anything could help."
The former analyst sighed.
"There's one more thing. Before I was dismissed, I made a copy of a document. It contained the original account number and the names of everyone who authorized the transfers."
Evelyn sat perfectly still.
"Where is it?"
"I kept it."
"Can I see it?"
"Maybe."
"Rachel—"
"But not over the phone."
Evelyn immediately understood.
"Where can we meet?"
"Tomorrow. I'll contact you."
The call ended.
Evelyn slowly lowered her phone.
She looked at the documents scattered across the table.
The investigation had become something much bigger than she had imagined.
A missing three million dollars had led her to an outside company, an unknown investment fund, a former financial executive, and a scandal that had begun twelve years earlier.
Now Richard Harrington's daughter might hold the missing piece.
Evelyn closed her laptop.
She needed sleep.
But before she could move, her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
The message contained only one sentence.
"Stop investigating Horizon if you want to keep your job and your family safe."
Evelyn read it twice.
Then she looked at the photographs.
She had never told anyone outside the company about her investigation.
Only Michael and Rachel knew what she had discovered.
And neither knew anything about her family.
She immediately called Michael.
He answered after the first ring.
"What's wrong?"
"Someone just threatened me."
His voice became serious.
"What did they say?"
She read the message aloud.
Michael was silent.
"Have you received anything similar?" she asked.
"No."
"Did you tell anyone about the documents?"
"No. I swear."
Evelyn walked toward the window.
"Someone knows we're investigating."
"Maybe they have access to our communications."
"Possibly."
"Should we stop?"
Evelyn looked at the message again.
Then she deleted nothing.
"No."
"Evelyn—"
"They're frightened, Michael. That's why they're threatening me."
"That doesn't mean they won't do something."
"I know."
She paused.
"Tomorrow morning, I want to meet with an independent attorney. Not someone connected to Harrington Global. Someone who can protect the evidence and advise us about reporting the financial transactions."
"All right."
"And Michael?"
"Yes?"
"Don't go home alone tonight if you think someone is following you."
He gave a nervous laugh.
"You're starting to sound like a detective."
"Perhaps I should have become one."
For the first time that evening, Michael laughed genuinely.
Then they ended the call.
Evelyn placed her phone on the table.