Chapter 10 - The Family MeetingFive People at One Table
My father sent the invitation that afternoon.
Come to the house. Everyone will be there.
I knew it was a trap.
I went anyway.
Because sometimes the fastest way to expose a lie is to let the liar talk.
My mother sat at the dining table.
Kevin was beside her.
Tessa sat next to Kevin.
Dad stood at the head.
Five people.
The same number of people I had expected at my house two nights earlier.
Only now there was no roast chicken.
No candles.
No balloons.
Just silence.
Dad motioned toward a chair.
"Sit."
I did.
He placed a folder on the table.
"We want to resolve this privately."
I smiled.
"That's interesting."
"What?"
"You didn't want to resolve anything when you thought I didn't know."
My mother looked down.
Dad ignored her.
"Kevin made mistakes."
Kevin flinched.
"Some of those mistakes affected you."
"Some?"
Dad sighed.
"The company incurred liabilities."
"Your company?"
"Family company."
I almost laughed.
"Carter Holdings belongs to my trust."
He looked at me.
That was the first moment I saw genuine surprise.
"You know."
"Enough."
Tessa looked at Kevin.
"What does she know?"
Kevin didn't answer.
Dad opened the folder.
"We can fix this."
"How?"
"You sign an authorization."
"No."
"You refinance."
"No."
"You can access the equity without losing the property."
"No."
"Madison."
I leaned forward.
"Tell me what happens if I don't."
He stared at me.
"Kevin will lose everything."
I looked at Kevin.
"I'm sorry."
He swallowed.
Dad slammed his hand on the table.
"He's your brother!"
"And I'm his emergency fund?"
"Family protects family."
"You protected him."
"Yes."
"With Grandma's money."
My mother began crying.
Dad went still.
"Who told you?"
"Does it matter?"
He stood.
"Your grandmother was old and confused."
I laughed softly.
"That's convenient."
"She made bad decisions."
"Then why did she leave documents saying I should have everything?"
He stared at me.
"She didn't understand."
"She understood enough to create a trust."
"She was sick."
"She understood enough to write my name."
His face hardened.
"You're being manipulated."
"By who?"
He didn't answer.
I stood.
"Give me the truth, Dad."
"You wouldn't survive it."
"Try me."
He looked at Kevin.
Kevin stood too.
"Tell her."
Dad's face changed.
"Sit down."
"No."
"Kevin."
"She's already involved."
Dad's voice turned cold.
"You have no idea what you're doing."
Kevin looked at me.
Then at our father.
"I'm done protecting you."
Tessa stood.
"What is happening?"
Kevin said:
"Dad took Grandma's money."
My mother covered her face.
"And he used Madison's identity."
Tessa stared at Paul.
"Is that true?"
Dad said nothing.
Kevin continued.
"He also changed the trust."
"Why?"
No one answered.
I looked directly at Dad.
"Why?"
He finally spoke.
Because I was the last person who could stop him.
"Stop who?"
Dad's eyes were on me.
"Your grandmother."
I frowned.
"She's dead."
"Exactly."
He opened another folder.
Inside was a single photograph.
My grandmother.
Healthy.
Standing beside a man I didn't recognize.
Daniel Mercer.
On the back was written:
The night everything changed.
Dad slid another document toward me.
It was a private investigation report.
My eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped at one sentence.
Subject: Daniel Mercer.
Possible cause of death: vehicle tampering.
I looked up.
Dad was watching me.
May you like
And suddenly I knew this family meeting wasn't about saving Kevin.
It was about finding out how much I knew.
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