Chapter 11 - I BOUGHT HER DEBT
Branton Capital agreed to sell.
They did not care about family drama.
They cared about repayment.
I paid $19 million for Eleanor’s $27 million debt.
By noon the next day, my company controlled every loan she had taken through the shell trust.
Daniel looked almost amused.
“You understand what this means?”
“I’m her creditor.”
“Yes.”
“And the collateral is fraudulent.”
“Yes.”
“So she owes the debt personally.”
“Correct.”
I called Eleanor.
This time, she answered.
“You’ve been busy.”
“So have you.”
“You bought the loans.”
“Yes.”
“That was foolish.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll never collect.”
“I don’t care.”
Silence.
My mother hated uncertainty.
“What do you want?”
“Julian.”
“He is an adult.”
“Then let him speak to me.”
“He doesn’t want to.”
I heard movement.
Then Julian’s voice.
“Sebastian.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you there voluntarily?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
My mother’s voice was close to him.
Too close.
“Leave the apartment.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
Another silence.
“Julian.”
“I signed something.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Mom said it was a petition to restore my shares.”
Daniel grabbed a pen.
I put the call on speaker.
“What did you actually sign?”
“I don’t know.”
My mother interrupted.
“Enough.”
The line went dead.
Daniel immediately contacted the court system.
Forty minutes later, he found it.
Julian had signed a voting proxy.
It granted Eleanor temporary authority over any shares he recovered from our father’s estate.
My mother had just obtained control over half of the original family company.
If the altered will was overturned, Julian would gain shares.
But Eleanor could vote them.
She had turned the truth into another weapon.
I wanted to blame Julian.
Then I remembered how many documents I had signed because she told me to.
“Can we challenge it?”
“Yes.”
“But Julian must cooperate.”
“And if he won’t?”
“Then Eleanor could use his voting power.”
I called him again.
No answer.
Then Clara surprised me.
“Bring him to the hospital.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Julian.”
“He won’t come.”
“Then send him this.”
She handed me her phone.
A recorded message.
Clara looked directly into the camera.
“Julian.”
“I don’t know what your mother told you.”
“I don’t know what you believe about Sebastian.”
“But I know what it feels like when someone makes you question your own memory.”
“She did it to me.”
“If you are angry at Sebastian, be angry.”
“If you want your inheritance, take it.”
“But please read whatever she asks you to sign.”
“Because once you stop trusting yourself, she owns more than your signature.”
“She owns your choices.”
We sent it.
Three hours passed.
Then Julian appeared at the hospital alone.
He walked into Clara’s room.
His eyes were red.
“I’m sorry.”
Clara nodded.
Julian turned toward me.
“I want out.”
I handed him Daniel’s number.
“Then we get you out.”
For the first time since this began, my brother chose a side.
May you like
Not mine.
His own.
