Chapter 4 Mystery

Mira's POV

Across the city, I unlocked the door to my small one-bedroom apartment just after ten o'clock.

I slipped off my shoes with a sigh before dropping my handbag onto the couch. "What a night..." I murmured to myself.

After making myself a cup of coffee, I carried my camera to my desk and connected the memory card to my laptop. Hundreds of photographs from the engagement gala appeared across the screen.

Vanessa smiling for the cameras, business leaders raising their glasses, politicians shaking hands, and finally… Kieran Vale.

I opened a blank document and began typing.

"Vale Group CEO Kieran Vale officially announced the beginning of a new chapter in his life during his engagement ceremony to Vanessa Pierce, daughter of the influential Pierce political family..."

I paused.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard before I deleted the last sentence and opened the video footage instead.

The recording began playing. The master of ceremonies welcomed the guests, the applause echoed through the ballroom, and then came the press session.

I watched myself step forward with the microphone. "Mr. Vale... What does it feel like to finally move on after three years?”

The camera shifted toward Kieran, and I pressed pause. My brows slowly knitted together.

I rewound the footage.

"What does it feel like to finally move on after three years?"

Pause.

Then I leaned closer to the screen.

His expression had changed, and most people probably wouldn't have noticed it. But as a reporter, noticing tiny reactions was part of my job.

The smile disappeared first, then his grip around the champagne flute tightened. For a brief second… He looked less like a billionaire celebrating his engagement, and more like someone who had been caught completely off guard.

I replayed the clip again, and again, but I got the same reaction every single time. Then I closed the video and opened an internet browser.

Within seconds, dozens of old headlines appeared.

THE ELYSIUM YACHT TRAGEDY CLAIMS TWELVE LIVES.

AUTHORITIES RULE EXPLOSION AN ACCIDENT.

VALE GROUP CEO MOURNS LATE WIFE.

I quietly read through several reports, and they all sounded almost identical. The wording barely changed from one newspaper to another, as though everyone had copied the same official statement.

I frowned. "That's strange..."

I searched again, but this time, I typed two words.

“ELYSIUM SHIPPING.”

More articles appeared. Insurance settlements, mechanical failure, closed investigation, case concluded, and many more.

I leaned back in my chair. I had spent months exposing corporate corruption, and one thing had become very clear over the years. Whenever every report sounded exactly the same, someone usually wanted the story to end.

My phone buzzed on the table, and the screen displayed Chief Editor – Richard Lawson.

I answered immediately. "Good evening, Chief."

His voice came instantly. "I just finished reading your draft."

I swallowed hard. "And?"

"It'll do."

I smiled. "I actually wanted to ask you something."

"I'm listening."

I looked back at the paused video of Kieran. "I don't think the yacht explosion was investigated properly."

Silence.

"What makes you say that?"

"I've been reading the reports, and they are too clean.” I breathed out. "The investigation ended too quickly.”

Richard sighed quietly. "Mira… It happened three years ago, and the authorities had closed the case… so why reopen it?"

I hesitated before answering. "I have a feeling there's more to it."

Another long silence followed.

Finally, Richard spoke again. "Do you know how many reporters have tried digging into Elysium Shipping?"

"No."

"Five."

I blinked. "Five?"

"One transferred to another newspaper. One resigned.” Richard paused. "Two abandoned the investigation halfway, and the last one disappeared.”

The words settled heavily between us.

My smile faded. "I've never heard that."

"Because it never became public."

I slowly looked back at the headlines on my computer screen. "What exactly is Elysium Shipping hiding?"

"I don't know." Richard replied almost immediately. "And that's exactly why I don't want you chasing this story."

I leaned forward. "But if there's something there…"

"Mira." His voice became firm. "You're one of the best investigative reporters I've worked with."

I smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"Which is why I'd like to keep you alive."

My expression immediately became serious.

"I'm not joking," Richard continued. "If you decide to investigate Elysium Shipping... be careful."

The call ended.

For several moments, I simply stared at the silent phone resting in my hand.

I knew I should have listened to Richard's warning. Any sensible reporter would have closed the laptop and moved on to another assignment. Instead, I slowly turned back toward the laptop.

On the screen… Kieran Vale remained frozen, at the exact moment I asked him one simple question.

"What are you hiding, Mr. Vale?" I whispered.

I stared at the screen for another minute before closing the browser. The apartment fell silent except for the soft hum of my laptop.

I reached for my notebook and flipped to a blank page. At the top, I wrote in capital letters:

ELYSIUM SHIPPING.

Beneath it, I began listing everything I knew. Yacht explosion, twelve confirmed deaths, mechanical failure, case closed within weeks, insurance payout, and Kieran Vale's wife among the victims.

I stopped writing and tapped the pen against the edge of the notebook.

Too many missing pieces.

I opened another tab and searched for public records related to the accident. Most of the files had been archived, while the remaining records had been removed from public access.

I sighed tiredly and closed the browser, then I closed the notebook and looked once more at the frozen image of Kieran Vale on my laptop.

"Let's see what you're hiding," I murmured before finally shutting the laptop.