Chapter 8: The Betrayal
Thomas Reed had been my lawyer for fourteen years.
He had sat beside me during acquisitions.
He had defended me in court.
He had helped build every major legal structure Romero Urban Design owned.
I had trusted him with everything.
Now he stood twenty feet away in the parking garage holding a folder filled with documents that had apparently been hidden from me for years.
Daniel stepped in front of me.
“What did you do?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Something I should have done a long time ago.””
Samuel whispered, “Get in the car.””
Thomas shook his head.
“Samuel, don't make this worse.””
I stared at Thomas.
“You're working for Richard.””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Thomas's eyes met mine.
“Michael.””
The world seemed to stop.
Daniel looked at me.
“What?””
Thomas lowered the folder.
“Your father never died.””
I couldn't speak.
Samuel closed his eyes.
Daniel whispered, “Where is he?””
Thomas looked toward me.
“That depends on whether he's still alive.””
My heart pounded.
“You know where he is?””
“I know where he was.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
I took a step toward him.
“Where?””
“Portugal.””
Daniel moved closer.
“Why didn't you tell us?””
“Because Michael asked me not to.””
“Why?””
“Because the Holloways found him once already.””
I looked at Samuel.
He nodded grimly.
Thomas continued.
“Richard didn't create Northstar.””
I frowned.
“Then who did?””
“Michael.””
The answer stunned me.
“He created it to track Richard's money.””
“Then why did money move through it?””
“Because Michael used Richard's own system against him.””
I thought about the eight million dollars.
“Where did the money go?””
“Into the trust.””
“What trust?””
“The one Michael created for Daniel.””
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't understand.””
Thomas looked at him.
“Your father spent years protecting assets that belonged to you.””
“Why didn't he come home?””
“Because every time he tried, someone got close to your mother.””
My throat tightened.
Thomas opened the folder.
Inside were photographs.
Me leaving my office.
Daniel at school.
My house.
My car.
I stared.
“How long?””
Thomas looked away.
“Years.””
“Who took these?””
“Richard's people.””
I felt something inside me crack.
“All these years…”
“He believed distance was safer.””
Daniel turned away.
He wiped his face.
“I hated him.””
Thomas nodded.
“He knew.””
“Then why didn't he explain?””
“Because he couldn't.””
“Couldn't?””
Thomas's voice softened.
“Michael was dying.””
Silence.
I looked at him.
“What?””
“He was diagnosed six years ago.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Cancer.””
Daniel whispered, “No.””
Thomas continued.
“He underwent treatment in Europe. It worked for a while.””
“Why didn't he tell me?””
“He believed you were safer without him.””
I closed my eyes.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to hit someone.
Instead, I whispered, “Where is he now?””
Thomas hesitated.
“I don't know.””
“You said you knew where he was three months ago.””
“I did.””
“Then where did he go?””
“Back to America.””
My heart jumped.
“Where?””
Thomas looked at Samuel.
Samuel answered.
“California.””
“Where in California?””
Neither spoke.
I stepped closer.
“Tell me.””
Thomas finally said, “He was investigating Northstar.””
“And?””
“He discovered who was controlling it.””
“Who?””
Thomas looked at me.
“Charlotte.””
I stared.
Daniel's face hardened.
“My fiancée?””
“She inherited access through her mother.””
“Victoria?””
“No.””
Thomas shook his head.
“Someone else.””
I thought of the woman in the photograph.
The young woman holding a baby.
My eyes widened.
“The woman in the photograph.””
Samuel nodded.
“Charlotte's biological mother.””
I couldn't breathe.
“What?””
Victoria wasn't Charlotte's biological mother?
Thomas continued.
“Charlotte was adopted.””
Daniel looked stunned.
“Why does that matter?””
“Because her biological mother was Elena Romero.””
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
“Elena?””
“My sister?””
Thomas nodded.
“Charlotte is your niece.””
Daniel stared at me.
Charlotte.
His fiancée.
My sister's daughter.
His cousin.
And she had been raised by the Holloways.
The realization was so grotesque that for several seconds none of us moved.
Daniel whispered, “No.””
Thomas said, “I'm sorry.””
“That's impossible.””
“DNA records confirm it.””
“Why didn't anyone tell her?””
“Because Richard didn't want her to know.””
“Why?””
“Because Elena knew about Michael's plan.””
Samuel added, “And because Charlotte was the key to controlling the trust.””
Daniel backed away.
“She doesn't know.””
Thomas looked at him.
“She knows enough.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
“She discovered her biological identity last year.””
I thought about Charlotte's questions.
My inheritance.
Pacific Ember.
The trust.
Daniel.
She hadn't randomly chosen my son.
She had been told exactly what he represented.
I whispered, “She targeted him.””
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“I loved her.””
“I know.””
“She knew who I was.””
“Yes.””
“She knew what you owned.””
“Yes.””
“And she still…”
He couldn't finish.
I stepped toward him.
“Daniel.””
He looked at me.
“Don't blame yourself.””
“How can I not?””
“Because you didn't know.””
He shook his head.
“I should have seen it.””
“No.””
I held his face in my hands.
“You loved someone. That's not a crime.””
Then Thomas said, “There's one more thing.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“Charlotte isn't the person who ordered the recent transfers.””
“Who did?””
Thomas's face changed.
“Victoria.””
I frowned.
“Victoria knew?””
“She has known everything.””
Samuel shook his head.
“No.””
Thomas looked at him.
“You're wrong.””
“I'm not.””
“You don't know what happened twenty-three years ago.””
Thomas stepped closer.
“I do.””
Samuel's expression hardened.
“Then tell her.””
Thomas looked at me.
“Your sister Elena wasn't killed.””
My heart stopped.
“She disappeared.””
“Where?””
Thomas swallowed.
“Because she went into hiding.””
“Why?””
“Because she discovered that Michael wasn't the only person Richard wanted dead.””
I stared at him.
“Who else?””
Thomas's voice dropped.
“You.””
The garage fell silent.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice came through.
Older.
Weak.
But unmistakable.
“Isabelle?””
My knees nearly gave way.
I gripped the car.
“Michael?””
A breath.
Then a whisper.
“I'm sorry.””
I closed my eyes.
“Where are you?””
“I don't have much time.””
“Tell me.””
“Go to the house.””
“What house?””
“Our old house.””
“Why?””
“Because Elena left something there.””
“What?””
Silence.
Then Michael said, “The truth about who killed me.””
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Daniel whispered, “Dad?””
May you like
I looked at him.
“Your father is alive.””
