Chapter 18 - The Original ContractThe hospital became chaos.
Red emergency lights flashed.
Doors slammed.
Security alarms screamed.
Jonathan had planned everything.
He always did.
Thomas pulled a small pistol from his coat.
“You brought a gun to a hospital?”
He shrugged.
“I’ve had a long life.”
Ryan tried to sit up.
“No.”
I pushed him back.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
He smiled.
“Bossy.”
“Shut up.”
A gunshot echoed in the hallway.
Thomas moved toward the door.
I grabbed the contract.
“What do we do?”
Thomas looked at me.
“Take it to the courthouse.”
“Why?”
“Because it has to be filed publicly.”
Ryan stared.
“And Jonathan?”
Thomas shook his head.
“He will stop you.”
We escaped through a service corridor.
Daniel met us downstairs.
His face was bruised.
“Where’s Patricia?”
“Still at the house.”
“Jonathan took her.”
My blood ran cold.
“Why?”
“She has the final key.”
“Then we need to get her.”
We drove to Patricia’s house.
The place was dark.
The front door hung open.
Inside, every photograph had been ripped from the walls.
Patricia was tied to a chair in the dining room.
Jonathan stood behind her.
“Emily.”
I stopped.
He smiled.
“You came.”
“What do you want?”
“The contract.”
“I have it.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
He put a gun against Patricia’s head.
She looked at me.
“Don’t.”
Jonathan laughed.
“She still believes she can be your mother.”
Patricia cried.
“Emily, run.”
“You’re not killing her.”
Jonathan raised the gun.
Ryan stepped forward.
“Take me instead.”
Jonathan smiled.
“That is exactly what I want.”
I understood.
Jonathan wanted Ryan.
He always had.
Ryan wasn’t just an heir.
He was the only person who could legally challenge the trust.
I held up the contract.
“You want this?”
“Yes.”
“Then let Patricia go.”
Jonathan considered it.
“Fine.”
He cut her loose.
Patricia stumbled away.
Then Jonathan pointed the gun at Ryan.
“Now.”
Ryan looked at me.
“Don’t give him anything.”
Jonathan fired.
The bullet struck Ryan in the shoulder.
He fell.
I screamed.
Jonathan lunged for the contract.
I tore it in half.
His face changed.
“You stupid woman.”
I smiled through tears.
“You should have learned something about me by now.”
He stared.
“What?”
“I don’t obey.”
Police sirens exploded outside.
Daniel had called them.
Jonathan turned toward the window.
Too late.
Officers stormed the house.
Jonathan dropped the gun.
Patricia collapsed into a chair.
Ryan groaned.
I ran to him.
He looked at me.
“Did you destroy the contract?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Then Patricia whispered:
“You didn’t destroy the original.”
I turned.
“What?”
She pointed toward the fireplace.
“The contract was never the document they needed.”
My heart stopped.
“Then what is?”
May you like
She looked at Ryan.
“The will.”
