Chapter 3 - The Man My Grandfather Hated“Leave us alone.”

My father's voice had changed.

The helpless anger was gone.

Now he sounded controlled.

Dangerously controlled.

Richard moved between us.

“You're not authorized to be here.”

Daniel ignored him.

He looked directly at me.

“Do you know what your grandfather did to this family?”

“You mean your father.”

“My father?”

He laughed bitterly.

“You think because he left you money, everything he said must be true?”

“No.”

I held up the letter.

“But this part makes me curious.”

His eyes dropped to the page.

I watched the blood drain from his face.

“You shouldn't have that.”

“Why?”

“Because he was lying.”

“Then explain it.”

“He hated your mother.”

I stared at him.

“My mother?”

“He blamed her for everything.”

Richard stepped forward.

“That's enough.”

My father ignored him.

“Your mother wanted to leave. She wanted to take you away. Your grandfather wouldn't allow it.”

I felt something inside me crack.

“Why?”

“Because James controlled everything.”

“That doesn't explain how she died.”

My father went silent.

Then said, “Car accident.”

“You just said my grandfather wouldn't let her leave.”

“So?”

“So why would he write that she didn't die by accident?”

My father stared at me.

For a moment, none of us moved.

Then he whispered,

“Because he was trying to destroy me.”

I felt cold.

“You're saying my grandfather killed my mother?”

“No.”

His answer came too quickly.

“I didn't say that.”

“Then what are you saying?”

My father's jaw tightened.

“Stay away from the past, Nathan.”

He turned to leave.

I called after him.

“Did you steal my savings?”

He stopped.

“You used my money.”

“You were living in my house.”

“You called it rent.”

His shoulders stiffened.

“Don't pretend you're innocent because you're suddenly rich.”

I stepped toward him.

“You said I was a burden.”

He turned.

“Maybe you were.”

The words hurt.

Even now.

Even after everything.

That was the last thing I expected to hear.

Richard's voice cut through the room.

“Mr. Brooks, leave.”

My father walked out.

The door slammed.

Margaret stared at me.

“Your grandfather was right.”

“About what?”

“He said your father would come here before the first twenty-four hours had passed.”

My stomach dropped.

“He predicted that?”

Margaret nodded.

“Your grandfather planned for every possibility.”

Richard opened a second folder.

“There's something else.”

He placed a document in front of me.

“Your grandfather did not leave you forty-two million dollars simply because he loved you.”

I looked at him.

“He had conditions because he expected you to inherit something more important than money.”

“What?”

“The truth.”

Richard pointed toward the safe.

“The key you found opens that.”

I picked it up.

We walked to the wall.

My hand trembled as I inserted the key.

The lock clicked.

Inside were documents, hard drives, photographs, and a thick black ledger.

I picked up the ledger.

On the first page was a date.

Sixteen years ago.

The year my mother died.

Below it were rows of payments.

Names.

Amounts.

Company accounts.

At the bottom of the page was one name repeated again and again.

DANIEL BROOKS.

I flipped through the pages.

Millions had been moved.

Shell companies.

Offshore accounts.

Unknown recipients.

Then I found a photograph.

My mother stood beside my grandfather.

She was smiling.

But on the back someone had written:

She found the missing money.

My heart pounded.

I looked at Richard.

“What is this?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he opened a folder at the bottom of the safe.

Inside was a police report.

My mother's fatal crash.

I read the details.

Rain.

Highway.

Brake failure.

Loss of control.

Then I saw a handwritten note clipped to the final page.

Brake system inspected 48 hours earlier. No defect found.

I looked up.

“Then how did the brakes fail?”

Richard's expression turned grim.

“They didn't.”

Silence.

I understood.

“Someone made them fail.”

Richard nodded.

“And your grandfather spent sixteen years trying to prove who.”

A sudden sound came from upstairs.

A heavy crash.

Margaret looked toward the ceiling.

Someone was inside the house.

Richard locked the study door.

I heard footsteps running across the second floor.

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