Chapter 9 - THE FAMILY THRONE
The family board meeting began at nine.
By ten, three directors had resigned.
By eleven, federal investigators arrived.
By noon, Victor appeared.
Alive.
He walked into the boardroom wearing a dark coat and a smile.
Everyone froze.
My mother whispered:
“Don't.”
Victor looked directly at her.
“You always were sentimental, Eleanor.”
I stepped between them.
“You killed my father.”
He smiled.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Victor looked at the board.
“Your father was going to destroy the family.”
“You're lying.”
“Am I?”
He placed a file on the table.
Inside were documents proving my father's secret transactions.
My attorney studied them.
“They're authentic.”
Victor looked at me.
“Your father wasn't innocent.”
I didn't want to believe it.
But truth didn't care what I wanted.
Victor continued.
“He planned to expose everyone.”
“Everyone?”
“Politicians. Bankers. Corporate partners. Even people inside his own family.”
I looked at my mother.
She nodded.
“He wanted to dismantle the empire.”
Victor laughed.
“And you think I stopped him?”
He shook his head.
“I tried to control the damage.”
“Then who killed him?”
Victor looked toward the door.
The door opened.
Thomas walked in.
Alive.
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
“Thomas.”
He looked broken.
“I didn't want this.”
My mother whispered:
“No.”
Thomas walked toward the table.
“I was the one who forged the messages.”
My fists clenched.
“You separated me from Evelyn.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I was threatened.”
“By whom?”
Thomas looked at Eleanor.
She closed her eyes.
Then he said:
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Evelyn gasped.
I turned toward Eleanor.
She didn't deny it.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You destroyed my life.”
“I know.”
“You took my children.”
“I kept them alive.”
“You stole six years.”
Tears rolled down her face.
“I would make the same choice again.”
I stared at her.
“Why?”
She whispered:
“Because the person who wanted your children wasn't Victor.”
Victor smiled.
Then he turned toward the board.
“Now you understand.”
He looked at Thomas.
“Tell him.”
Thomas swallowed.
“The person behind everything is not your mother.”
“Then who?”
Thomas looked toward the back of the room.
At one of the oldest board members.
A man who had remained silent throughout the entire meeting.
Arthur Kane.
My grandfather's former attorney.
He stood slowly.
Everyone stared.
Arthur smiled.
“Your grandfather trusted me.”
Victor stepped aside.
Arthur spoke calmly.
“I created the private trust.”
My stomach dropped.
“And I have controlled it for twenty years.”
“Why?”
“Because your family has always been too emotional to manage power.”
He looked at the twins.
“They were never supposed to survive.”
Evelyn pulled the boys closer.
My entire body went cold.
“You're finished.”
Arthur smiled.
“No.”
He pressed a button.
The doors locked.
Security lights turned red.
Then the building shook.
An explosion sounded somewhere below.
Everyone screamed.
Arthur walked toward the emergency exit.
“By tomorrow morning, the trust will belong to me.”
I chased him.
But before I could reach the door, my mother stepped in front of me.
“Marcus.”
“What?”
She handed me a key.
“The original trust is not in the company.”
“Where is it?”
She looked at the twins.
“Where your father wanted you to find it.”
“Where?”
May you like
She whispered:
“At home.”
