"Why didn't he tell me?"
"Maybe he tried."
Adrian looked at the letter.
"Maybe I didn't listen."
Malik said nothing.
That night, Adrian couldn't sleep.
He went through old files.
Contracts.
Emails.
Invoices.
Photographs.
He searched for Victor Crane.
He found a folder.
Inside was a document Thomas had signed.
Adrian read it.
His hands began shaking.
It wasn't a sales agreement.
It was a warning.
Thomas had written:
"Adrian, if Crane approaches you, don't trust him."
Adrian remembered.
Victor had approached him.
Adrian had trusted him.
And Thomas had tried to warn him.
The next morning, Adrian called Malik.
"Come to my office."
Malik arrived at ten.
Adrian placed the documents on the desk.
"I think your father was right."
Malik looked at the papers.
"What did you find?"
"Your father tried to warn me."
"About Crane?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"I ignored him."
Malik looked at Adrian.
"Why?"
Adrian stared at the desk.
"Because I wanted money."
Malik didn't judge him.
That made it worse.
Adrian continued.
"I thought Thomas was jealous."
"He wasn't."
"I know."
"Now."
Adrian nodded.
Malik picked up another document.
"What is this?"
"I don't know."
Malik read it.
His eyes widened.
"That's my father's signature."
Adrian leaned forward.
"What does it say?"
Malik read silently.
Then looked up.
"It says the original patent wasn't sold."
"What?"
"The rights were transferred temporarily."
"To whom?"
Malik looked at the bottom.
"Adrian Cole."
Adrian froze.
"Me?"
Malik nodded.
Adrian took the document.
His name was there.
But he had never seen it.
"That's impossible."
"Maybe someone used your name."
Adrian looked at the date.
It was twenty-eight years old.
The same year he sold his company.
He remembered signing dozens of documents.
Anyone could have hidden one among them.
Malik asked,
"Who prepared the paperwork?"
Adrian thought.
"Victor Crane."
Silence.
They looked at each other.
Malik said,
"So my father was right."
Adrian nodded.
"Victor stole the patents."
"And used your name."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Then we need to find out why."
They spent the next month investigating.
Old records were reopened.
Lawyers were hired.
Bank accounts were traced.
Former employees were interviewed.
One name kept appearing.
Crane had secretly transferred the patents to an offshore company.
That company still existed.
And its current owner was someone neither man expected.
Adrian's former business partner.
A man named Richard Vale.
Richard had worked beside Adrian for twenty years.
He was now seventy.
He lived in Palm Beach.
He owned three yachts.
And he had recently announced his retirement.
Adrian confronted him.
Richard smiled.
"I was wondering when you'd figure it out."
Adrian stared.
"You knew."
"Of course."
"You knew Thomas was right."
Richard nodded.
"You were too ambitious to listen."
Adrian stepped closer.
"You destroyed him."
Richard laughed.
"No."
"You stole his patents."
"I invested in them."
"You stole them."
"Words."
Adrian's voice became cold.
"You used my signature."
Richard smiled.