Chapter 16 - THE BROTHER'S LAST CHOICE
Nathaniel wasn't alone.
Three armed men entered the vault.
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Drop it!”
Nathaniel laughed.
“You still don't understand, Agent Bell.”
He pointed at Eleanor.
“She never lost control.”
Eleanor's face hardened.
“Nathaniel.”
“You built everything.”
“And you betrayed it.”
“I survived it.”
David stepped forward.
“You tried to kill my family.”
Nathaniel's eyes moved to me.
“No.”
He lowered his gun.
“I tried to scare them.”
David frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you wouldn't listen.”
Nathaniel looked at Eleanor.
“She told me the truth.”
David froze.
“What truth?”
Nathaniel's expression changed.
“She wasn't protecting you.”
He pointed toward the files.
“She was protecting herself.”
Eleanor said nothing.
Nathaniel continued.
“She knew your father planned to kill her.”
“She knew my father had killed Catherine's father.”
“She knew the ledger could destroy everything.”
“So she disappeared.”
David looked at his mother.
“Is that true?”
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes.”
Nathaniel laughed bitterly.
“She let everyone blame your father.”
David's face tightened.
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Nathaniel turned to me.
“Your father discovered Eleanor was planning to take over the organization.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He stole the master ledger.”
“Why?”
“To expose her.”
Eleanor interrupted.
“And your father was going to sell it.”
Nathaniel nodded.
“That part is true.”
David looked between them.
“Then who killed him?”
Nathaniel's expression became serious.
“Not my father.”
“Who?”
Nathaniel looked at Eleanor.
“Ask her.”
I stared at Eleanor.
She said nothing.
Nathaniel slowly lowered his weapon.
“I didn't come here to kill you.”
David stepped toward him.
“Then why?”
“To give you a choice.”
He placed a flash drive on the floor.
“Everything is on that.”
David picked it up.
“What's the catch?”
Nathaniel smiled.
“If you expose the files, thousands of people will be arrested.”
“And?”
“Some are innocent.”
David looked at Eleanor.
“She knows.”
Nathaniel nodded.
“She always knew.”
Suddenly, one of Nathaniel's men shot him.
Nathaniel fell.
“NO!”
David rushed toward him.
The shooter ran.
Alessandro chased him.
Nathaniel grabbed David's shirt.
“Don't trust…”
He coughed blood.
“...the woman who brought you home.”
David froze.
Nathaniel died in his arms.
For the first time, David looked at his mother not as a son.
But as a man investigating a crime.
“Mom.”
Eleanor met his eyes.
“What did you do?”
She whispered:
“Something I thought would save you.”
David stood.
“You're going to tell me everything.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes.”
May you like
Then the lights went out.
And when they came back on, Eleanor was gone.
