Chapter 15 - THE TRAP
Ethan stood up so fast the chair scraped across the floor.
“You told Richard Sophie was here?”
“She isn’t.”
“He doesn’t know that.”
Agent Shaw stepped between them.
“This was coordinated.”
Ethan looked at her.
“You knew?”
“We believe Richard is desperate.”
“Desperate people make mistakes.”
Ethan hated every part of the plan.
But Margaret was right about one thing.
Richard came.
At 8:17 that evening, a dark sedan stopped three houses away.
A man walked toward the cottage.
Not Richard.
Michael Dorn.
Federal agents watched from concealed positions.
Dorn knocked.
Margaret opened the door.
Ethan watched from another room through a monitor.
Dorn entered carrying a leather bag.
“Where’s Richard?”
Margaret asked.
“He’ll come when he knows it’s safe.”
“You expect me to trust you?”
Dorn smiled.
“No.”
“I expect you to fear him.”
He placed the leather bag on the table.
Inside was a laptop.
“Give me the ledger.”
“Then we transfer your voting rights back.”
Margaret laughed.
“You still think this family belongs to him.”
Dorn’s expression hardened.
“Where is the girl?”
Ethan’s fists clenched.
Margaret remained calm.
“Safe.”
Dorn stepped closer.
“Richard doesn’t want to hurt Sophie.”
From behind the monitor, Ethan whispered, “Liar.”
Dorn continued.
“He needs her signature eventually.”
“She’s six.”
“Not forever.”
That was the plan.
Keep Sophie hidden overseas.
Control her guardianship.
Wait until legal structures could be manipulated.
Margaret said, “Claire understood you better than Richard thinks.”
For the first time, Dorn looked nervous.
“What did Claire leave?”
“Enough.”
Dorn reached for his phone.
Agent Shaw gave the signal.
Federal agents entered from three sides.
Dorn froze.
He did not resist.
But he smiled at Ethan as he was handcuffed.
“You think this ends with Richard?”
Ethan approached.
“It ends with my daughter safe.”
Dorn shook his head.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Richard didn’t start this.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Who did?”
Dorn’s smile disappeared.
“Ask Samuel Grant why Claire’s original trust has two signatures.”
Ethan felt his stomach turn.
The version they had seen carried only Claire’s signature.
He immediately called Samuel.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then Daniel called.
His voice was urgent.
“Ethan.”
May you like
“Samuel is gone.”
“And he took the original trust documents with him.”
