Chapter 14 - THE THEATER WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE
Leah did not go alone.
She informed the police.
She informed Julian.
Then she entered the theater wearing a concealed recorder.
The Grand Mercer had been closed for renovation.
Plastic covered the seats.
Dust floated beneath the stage lights.
Adrian waited near the orchestra pit.
The original will rested inside a leather case.
Claire’s letters were tied with the pale-green ribbon from Julian’s lake house.
“You broke into his home,” Leah said.
“I recovered family property.”
“Those letters belonged to Claire.”
“Claire is dead.”
Leah’s voice sharpened.
“That does not make her life available to you.”
Adrian placed a settlement on the stage.
The amount had increased to fifty million dollars.
Leah would sign away the shares.
Adrian would return the letters and will.
“No.”
“You have not read it.”
“I read the last one.”
“You are destroying thousands of jobs.”
“You are selling hotels to yourself.”
“That sale protects the properties from Julian’s instability.”
“Your mother already lost that argument.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You think my mother is the villain.”
“She was twenty-eight when this began.”
“Edward controlled every dollar.”
“He told her Claire would destroy Julian.”
“He threatened to disinherit us all.”
“She made one lie.”
“Then she spent twenty-eight years feeding it.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“You have no idea what families like ours require.”
Leah looked around the empty theater.
“Families like yours require audiences.”
“Without them, cruelty looks ordinary.”
Adrian reached for her arm.
Julian’s voice came from the aisle.
“Let her go.”
Adrian turned.
Police officers emerged from both stage wings.
Mateo stood behind them with his face bandaged.
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“You brought the entire cast.”
Leah pulled her arm free.
“I brought witnesses.”
Adrian grabbed the leather case and ran toward the backstage corridor.
The exit had already been secured.
He tried another door.
Locked.
He lifted a metal stage tool.
Julian stopped several feet away.
“Do not make this worse.”
“You gave everything to a stranger.”
Julian looked toward Leah.
“She is not a stranger.”
“She is to you.”
The words struck Julian.
He did not deny them.
“She is someone I am learning.”
Adrian lowered the tool slightly.
Police ordered him to place it on the floor.
He looked toward Leah.
“You will regret joining this family.”
Leah answered calmly.
“I did not join it.”
“I survived what it did.”
Adrian dropped the tool.
The will and Claire’s letters were recovered.
The hidden recorder captured his admission about the hotel sale.
May you like
The Mercer dynasty’s heir was taken from the theater in handcuffs.
For once, there was no applause.
