Chapter 6 - FOURTEEN YEARS AGOMy mother hated talking about my father's business.
Not disliked it.
Hated it.
Whenever I mentioned the Hawthorne Trust, she changed the subject.
Whenever I asked why my father had stopped making public appearances near the end of his life, she said he was tired.
I had never pushed.
That morning, I did.
I walked into the dining room.
“Mom.”
She looked up.
“What happened fourteen years ago?”
The cup slipped from her hand.
It hit the saucer.
“What?”
“Fourteen years ago.”
Her eyes went cold.
“Who told you?”
“So you know.”
She slowly sat down.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Answer me.”
She looked toward the windows.
Then she whispered:
“Your father made a deal.”
“With whom?”
“A company called Asteris.”
I felt my pulse jump.
“What kind of deal?”
“A very bad one.”
“Explain.”
She didn't.
Instead, she asked:
“Did Aaron show you documents?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did someone mention the Vale family?”
Her face had gone pale.
“Yes.”
She closed her eyes.
“Then it has started.”
“What has started?”
“The cleanup.”
“Cleanup?”
She looked at me.
“Your father knew someone would eventually try to take the trust.”
“Who?”
“A man named Roland Vale.”
I froze.
“Jasmine's father?”
“Yes.”
I sat opposite her.
“What happened?”
She folded her hands.
“Your father and Roland were business partners.”
“Why wasn't I told?”
“You were a child.”
“What did they do?”
“They built a technology fund.”
“That doesn't sound criminal.”
“It wasn't.”
She took a breath.
“Until Roland started stealing from it.”
“And my father?”
“He discovered it.”
“What happened then?”
“My father confronted him.”
“Then?”
“Roland disappeared.”
I stared at her.
“Disappeared?”
“His business collapsed. His family lost everything. Your father took control of the remaining assets.”
I understood.
Vale Systems.
Prescott's acquisition.
Jasmine's hatred.
But there was something missing.
“What does Aaron have to do with that?”
My mother looked at me.
“He was Roland's protégé.”
I felt cold.
“When?”
“Before you met him.”
I stood.
“So Aaron knew my family before he met me.”
“Yes.”
“Did he marry me because of the money?”
My mother looked away.
“I don't know.”
That answer hurt more than a yes.
I returned to the library.
Rebecca was waiting.
I handed her the documents.
“Trace Asteris.”
“We already did.”
“What did you find?”
“Nothing obvious.”
“Try again.”
She studied me.
“Your mother?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca nodded.
“We found a shell company linked to Asteris.”
“Where?”
“Singapore.”
“Owner?”
“Unknown.”
“Bank?”
“Private institution.”
I knew immediately.
“Hawthorne Private Bank.”
Rebecca looked surprised.
“Exactly.”
I walked to the safe.
Inside was a file my father had left me.
I had never opened it.
The envelope was stamped:
FOR ALYSSA ONLY. OPEN AFTER THIRTY.
I was twenty-nine when he died.
I had forgotten the letter existed.
Now I opened it.
My father's handwriting filled the page.
Alyssa,
If you're reading this, the Prescott family has entered your life.
I stopped.
My hands shook.
I kept reading.
Do not trust Aaron Prescott.
The room seemed to disappear.
I read the next line.
He knows exactly who you are.
Then another.
And one day he will try to take what belongs to you.
I sat down.
My father had known.
He had known before Aaron ever approached me.
At the bottom was one sentence.
The thirteen patents are not the foundation of the company. They are the lock on the door.
Rebecca read the letter.
Her face changed.
“What does that mean?”
I shook my head.
“I don't know.”
Then we saw a second page.
A list of names.
Aaron Prescott.
Roland Vale.
Victor Chen.
And one final name.
Eleanor Prescott.
My mother in law.
I looked at Rebecca.
“This is impossible.”
She pointed to a date.
Fourteen years ago.
Eleanor had been involved too.
Then my phone rang.
Aaron.
I answered.
His voice was eerily calm.
“You found the letter.”
I stood.
“How do you know?”
“Because your father told me.”
My heart stopped.
“You knew about this?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since before I married you.”
Silence.
I whispered:
“Then why did you marry me?”
Aaron didn't answer.
I heard someone in the background.
A woman's voice.
Jasmine.
Then Aaron spoke.
“Because I was ordered to.”
Everything inside me went still.
“By whom?”
He hesitated.
Then:
“Your father.”
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Rebecca looked at me.
“Do you believe him?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because my father is dead.”
I turned toward the window.
“And dead men don't give orders.”
At 11:48 that night, a black car stopped outside my house.
A man stepped out.
He carried a small leather case.
He came to my front door.
When he removed his glasses, I recognized him.
Victor Chen.
My husband's lawyer.
He held out the case.
“Mrs. Prescott.”
“What is this?”
“The truth.”
“Whose truth?”
Victor looked behind him.
May you like
Then whispered:
“Your father's.”
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