Chapter 13 - The Brother in the PhotographHis name was Nathan Vale.
He was not Daniel's biological son.
He was the child my mother had hidden.
The truth came out piece by piece.
When my mother discovered Mercer was using the family network to manipulate land acquisitions, she realized her children were leverage.
She kept me with my father.
She sent Nathan away with a trusted associate.
Only a handful of people knew.
Daniel was one.
Evelyn was another.
My father was the third.
But someone betrayed them.
"Who?" I asked.
Nathan looked at me.
"Edmund."
My uncle.
"He sold information to Mercer."
"Why?"
"Money."
I laughed.
Everyone's answer was money.
"Then why did Dad keep Edmund on the board?"
"To watch him."
"Did it work?"
"No."
Nathan handed me another file.
Inside was a corporate resolution.
Edmund had tried to seize control of the trust after my father's death.
He failed.
Because my father had already transferred everything to me.
That was why Julian married me.
They needed me to voluntarily give it away.
I felt a cold satisfaction.
"They couldn't take what they couldn't reach."
Nathan nodded.
"Exactly."
Then he looked toward the road.
"We need to leave."
"Why?"
"Because Mercer knows I'm here."
Police vehicles surrounded the cemetery.
A detective approached.
"Mrs. Whitmore, you're in danger."
"I know."
"No. You don't."
He gave me his phone.
A message had been sent to the department.
Mercer had ordered an attack.
Not against me.
Against the courthouse.
My blood went cold.
"Why?"
"Because every piece of evidence is being submitted there tomorrow."
"What will he do?"
"Burn it."
We rushed back.
The courthouse was already surrounded.
Smoke was rising from the records wing.
Fire alarms screamed.
People ran through the doors.
My attorney shouted:
"The files!"
I ran.
Nathan grabbed my arm.
"Don't."
"My father's evidence is inside."
"We can replace paper."
"Not all of it."
I went in.
The records room was filling with smoke.
Sprinklers had activated.
Water poured from the ceiling.
I found the trust file.
The ledger.
The audio recordings.
Then a figure stepped from behind the shelves.
Edmund.
My uncle.
He held a lighter.
"Give me the ledger."
"No."
He smiled.
"You always were stubborn."
"Did you kill my father?"
He didn't answer.
"Did you kill my mother?"
Silence.
"Did you help Mercer?"
He smiled again.
"Your father ruined everything."
"What did he ruin?"
"My future."
He stepped closer.
"He promised me half the company."
"He gave you nothing."
"He gave it to you."
"Because he knew you were corrupt."
His eyes turned cold.
"You were supposed to sign."
"Julian was supposed to convince me."
"Yes."
"Eleanor was supposed to frighten me."
"Yes."
"Mercer was supposed to take everything."
"Yes."
I stared at him.
"And the oil?"
Edmund's smile vanished.
"That was never supposed to happen."
"So who ordered it?"
He looked past me.
At Julian.
My husband stood in the doorway.
Blood ran from his forehead.
He looked at his uncle.
"You."
Edmund froze.
Julian stepped inside.
"I heard everything."
"Julian."
"You told my mother to hurt her."
Edmund backed away.
Julian looked at me.
"I didn't know."
"I know."
He swallowed.
"I thought you were the problem."
"You made me the problem."
"I know."
Sirens grew louder outside.
Edmund ran.
Police caught him at the exit.
He shouted something as they dragged him away.
"Mercer will kill you all!"
I looked at Julian.
He whispered:
"He's right."
Then the fire alarm stopped.
A detective walked into the room.
"We found something in the basement."
"What?"
"A hidden office."
Inside was a wall covered with photographs.
Mine.
Julian's.
My father.
My mother.
Nathan.
Evelyn.
Martin.
Even the judge.
At the center of the wall was one photograph.
Roland Mercer.
Holding a document.
The detective looked at me.
"Mrs. Whitmore."
"What?"
"We traced the document in his hand."
"To where?"
"Your father's original property file."
I stared.
"The file was supposedly destroyed."
He nodded.
"It wasn't."
"Where is it?"
May you like
He looked at me.
"With Mercer."
