Chapter 12 - The Woman Who Called Herself My MotherCharleston harbor was empty at 11:16 p.m.
Rain fell steadily.
Fog moved over the water.
A black boat waited near the pier.
Daniel and I walked toward it alone.
Except we weren't alone.
Police were hidden two blocks away.
Marcus had arranged a surveillance perimeter.
Victor remained under arrest.
And I had copied the ledger before leaving.
My mother had no idea.
We stepped onto the boat.
"She's here," Daniel whispered.
A door opened.
My mother stood inside.
Emma was beside her.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't afraid.
She was holding my mother's hand.
"Mama?"
Emma looked at Daniel.
"Daddy!"
She ran.
Daniel caught her.
My mother didn't stop them.
I stared at her.
"Why?"
She looked at me.
"Because you were never supposed to marry Daniel."
"I know."
"You were supposed to marry someone else."
"Who?"
She smiled.
"Victor."
I froze.
"Victor?"
"He was Thomas's business partner."
"He tried to kill my father."
"He did."
"Then why would you want me to marry him?"
"Because he would have controlled the empire."
I felt sick.
"You're insane."
She smiled.
"No."
She walked toward me.
"I'm practical."
I stared at her.
"You killed Dad."
"No."
"You lied about your death."
"Yes."
"You hid Sophie."
"Yes."
"You altered Emma's DNA."
"Yes."
"You manipulated my marriage."
"Yes."
"You took Emma."
"I needed leverage."
I clenched my fists.
"Why?"
Her face finally changed.
For the first time, she looked tired.
"Because your father was going to expose us."
"Us?"
"Victor and me."
My heart sank.
"We worked together."
"For how long?"
"Twenty years."
"Then what happened?"
"He betrayed me."
"How?"
"He wanted everything."
"And you didn't?"
She smiled.
"I wanted you."
The answer stunned me.
"You don't get to say that."
"I am your mother."
"You stopped being my mother when you buried yourself and left me alone."
She looked at me.
"I watched you from afar."
"That's not love."
"It was the only way."
"No."
I shook my head.
"It was the excuse you gave yourself."
Her eyes hardened.
"Your father was going to kill Sophie."
I froze.
"What?"
"He was afraid she would challenge your inheritance."
Sophie.
"He ordered Rose to disappear."
"That's a lie."
"Ask Marcus."
I did.
Marcus's voice came through my earpiece.
"We have evidence."
My mother smiled.
"You see?"
She knew about the surveillance.
"Then why did you bring Emma here?"
"Because Emma is the key."
"To what?"
She pointed toward the cabin.
Inside was a safe.
"The original Mercer trust."
I opened it.
Inside was a single document.
The real succession agreement.
I read it.
My father's signature.
My mother's.
And one more.
Daniel's father.
The final beneficiary wasn't Emma.
It wasn't me.
It wasn't Daniel.
It was a company.
Mercer Legacy Foundation.
A nonprofit.
I looked at my mother.
"What is this?"
"The empire was never supposed to belong to a person."
"Then why all the manipulation?"
"Because your father changed his mind."
"Why?"
"Because you were the only person he trusted."
I stared.
My mother stepped closer.
"He was going to leave everything to you."
I looked at the contract.
"Then why create the other clauses?"
"To protect you."
I felt tears sting my eyes.
"Everyone says that."
My mother sighed.
Then she reached into her coat.
Pulled out a pistol.
Daniel stepped in front of Emma.
My mother pointed it at me.
"I need one thing from you."
"What?"
"Your signature."
She placed a document on the table.
"Sign away your controlling interests."
"No."
"Then Emma dies."
Daniel whispered:
"Don't."
My mother glanced at him.
"You were always the weak one."
Daniel looked at me.
"Don't sign."
I stared at Emma.
Seven years old.
Terrified.
But she wasn't looking at the gun.
She was looking at the document.
Then she whispered:
"Mommy said you would know what to do."
My mother froze.
I looked at Emma.
"What did she say?"
Emma pointed to the corner of the paper.
A tiny red mark.
I recognized it.
My father's mark.
A symbol he used when documents were traps.
My mother had no idea.
She had brought me the proof.
I smiled.
"What?"
My mother frowned.
"You want me to sign?"
She nodded.
"Then hand me a pen."
I reached for it.
My mother smiled.
And that was her mistake.
Because the pen wasn't for signing.
It was a recording device.
May you like
And everything she had confessed...
Had just been captured.
