Chapter 10 - The lake house windows exploded inward.
Daniel dragged Graham behind the stone fireplace.
Evelyn dropped to the floor.
Maisie screamed.
“Stay down!”
Bullets tore through the wall.
Daniel fired twice toward the doorway.
A man shouted outside.
Then silence.
Graham looked at Evelyn.
“You said my father started Northvale.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To control inheritance disputes.”
“To control children.”
“At first, it was supposed to protect them.”
Evelyn's face twisted.
“Then money changed everything.”
Graham looked at the ledger.
“What's this?”
“Proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That your father's trust never belonged to him.”
She pointed at Maisie.
“It belonged to the children.”
Graham didn't understand.
“What?”
“The money was supposed to be held until each heir reached adulthood.”
“And?”
“Your father discovered he could manipulate the guardianship clauses.”
Graham's voice dropped.
“So if a child was labeled incompetent...”
“They could redirect the assets.”
Graham stared.
“How many families?”
“Thirty-two.”
Daniel cursed.
Thirty-two children.
Thirty-two fortunes.
Thirty-two lives.
Then Graham saw something in the ledger.
A final signature.
His father's.
Below it was another.
Claire's.
Graham looked at Evelyn.
“Why would Claire sign this?”
“She didn't.”
“Then why is her signature here?”
Evelyn said nothing.
Graham examined it closely.
The signature looked perfect.
Too perfect.
Daniel leaned over.
“It's a copy.”
“How do you know?”
“I used to forge signatures for private investigations.”
Graham looked at him.
Daniel avoided his eyes.
Evelyn whispered:
“He learned from the people he was hunting.”
A crash came from the hallway.
Someone was inside.
Daniel raised his gun.
Evelyn moved toward Maisie.
Graham blocked her.
“Don't touch her.”
“I'm trying to save her.”
“Then prove it.”
Evelyn reached into her coat.
She slowly pulled out a small recorder.
“Claire gave me this.”
Graham took it.
He pressed play.
Claire's voice filled the room.
“If you're hearing this, Evelyn failed to stop them.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Claire continued:
“I know Graham will blame himself.”
Graham's eyes filled with tears.
“He must understand something.”
A pause.
“I never left because I stopped loving him.”
Graham closed his eyes.
“I left because our family was being watched.”
Claire's voice shook.
“And if I die, Maisie must never go to Northvale.”
The recording ended.
Then another voice appeared.
A man's voice.
Graham knew it immediately.
His father.
“You were warned, Claire.”
Claire answered:
“You cannot erase what you've done.”
His father replied:
“I don't need to erase it.”
A pause.
“I only need Graham to believe you were unstable.”
The recording ended.
Graham stared at Evelyn.
“You had this.”
“Yes.”
“For three years.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe Claire abandoned us.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You failed.”
Evelyn lowered her eyes.
Before she could respond, the front door exploded.
Men stormed in.
Daniel fired.
Evelyn dragged Maisie through the kitchen.
Graham followed.
They ran into the woods.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Then they reached an old ranger station.
Daniel locked the door.
“We have to split up.”
Graham looked at him.
“No.”
“They're tracking the ledger.”
“We destroy it.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Then the proof dies.”
Graham looked at Maisie.
She was holding something.
“What is that?”
She opened her fist.
A tiny key.
The same key from the basement.
Graham stared.
“Where did you get it?”
“It was inside Mommy's rabbit.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What does it open?”
Maisie whispered:
“Daddy's office.”
Graham frowned.
“What in my office?”
She looked at him.
“The secret drawer.”
Graham froze.
He had never known his office had a secret drawer.
Then Evelyn said something even stranger.
“Your father didn't leave that key for you.”
“Who did?”
“Claire.”
“Why?”
Evelyn looked at the key.
“Because she knew the final record was still inside your house.”
Graham's pulse quickened.
“What final record?”
May you like
Evelyn looked at him.
“The night Claire died.”
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