Chapter 13 - The Friend
Adrian stared at Jonathan.
“Tell me Thomas was lying.”
Jonathan did not answer.
Twenty years of friendship sat between them.
College.
First jobs.
Adrian’s wedding that had ended before its second anniversary.
Charles’s funeral.
Evelyn’s accident.
Jonathan had been present through all of it.
“Where were you?” Adrian asked.
Jonathan looked toward the door.
Daniel stepped in front of it.
“Sit down.”
Jonathan slowly sat.
Evelyn looked devastated.
“You came to the hospital.”
“I know.”
“You brought flowers.”
Jonathan lowered his eyes.
“I know.”
Adrian slammed his hand on the table.
“Where were you?”
Jonathan flinched.
“At the country estate.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“Vanessa asked me to come.”
“For what?”
“To review documents.”
“What documents?”
Jonathan looked at Marcus.
“The Trial 17 archive.”
Silence.
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“You knew.”
“For twelve years.”
“And you said nothing.”
Jonathan’s eyes filled with tears.
“My father worked for Sterling Health.”
“So?”
“He signed the patient enrollment documents.”
Clara understood.
Jonathan was tied to the old scandal through his own family.
“If Trial 17 became public, your father’s name would be exposed.”
Jonathan nodded.
“He died believing I had protected him.”
Adrian looked sick.
“So you helped Victor.”
“At first, I helped contain old files.”
“At first?”
Jonathan took a breath.
“Then Victor wanted more.”
“He wanted access to the foundation shares.”
“He wanted medical research archives.”
“He wanted control.”
“And you gave it to him?”
“No.”
“Not completely.”
Adrian laughed once.
A broken sound.
“What does that mean?”
“I gave Vanessa internal schedules.”
“Passwords?”
“Some.”
“Security access?”
Jonathan looked away.
Evelyn whispered.
“My house?”
“Yes.”
Clara stared at him.
“You helped her get inside the estate the day Mrs. Beaumont fell.”
Jonathan nodded.
Adrian moved around the table.
Daniel stepped between them.
“Adrian.”
Jonathan looked up.
“I didn’t know she would hurt her.”
“But you knew she was going to pressure her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew my mother was alone.”
“Yes.”
“You knew she wanted the box.”
“Yes.”
Adrian’s face was white with rage.
“And you called yourself my friend.”
Jonathan started crying.
“I was afraid.”
Adrian stepped back.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Jonathan looked confused.
“What?”
“Margaret was afraid because Victor threatened her grandson.”
“Samuel was afraid because they destroyed his life.”
“My mother was afraid because Vanessa convinced everyone she was losing her mind.”
“You were afraid your family name would be embarrassed.”
He shook his head.
“Those are not the same fear.”
Jonathan had no answer.
Clara watched Adrian.
For the first time, she realized he was changing.
The man who had entered the gala had been accustomed to control.
This man was discovering how much had happened while he believed he was in control.
Jonathan wiped his face.
“I can give you something.”
Adrian said nothing.
“Victor has a private archive.”
“Where?”
“Sterling Health headquarters.”
“He keeps original correspondence from Trial 17.”
Marcus leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Insurance.”
“Against whom?”
“Everyone.”
Jonathan looked at Evelyn.
“Charles.”
“Thomas.”
“My father.”
“Board members.”
“Even Vanessa.”
Clara frowned.
“He keeps evidence against his own daughter?”
Jonathan gave a tired laugh.
“Victor keeps evidence against everyone.”
Adrian looked at Daniel.
“Can investigators get it?”
“Not without probable cause specific to that location.”
Jonathan reached into his jacket.
Daniel immediately moved.
Jonathan raised both hands.
“Relax.”
He removed a key card.
Black.
No logo.
“This accesses Victor’s private executive floor.”
Adrian did not take it.
“Why give this to me now?”
Jonathan looked at him.
“Because he called me this morning.”
“What did he say?”
Jonathan’s voice shook.
“He told me the Beaumont family wouldn’t survive the week.”
Adrian stared.
“And then?”
“He said when you were gone, I could finally stop pretending to be your friend.”
Silence.
Jonathan pushed the key card forward.
“I don’t know what he plans to do.”
“But whatever it is, it has already started.”
Adrian’s phone rang.
Daniel answered first.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He handed the phone to Adrian.
A fire had broken out at Beaumont Medical’s archival facility in New Jersey.
The building containing physical records from the 1990s.
Including Trial 17.
Clara looked toward the black key card.
Victor Sterling was no longer trying to win quietly.
May you like
He was burning the past before anyone could use it against him.
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