Chapter 19 - THE LAST GREENHOUSE
The location arrived ten minutes later.
Not the estate greenhouse.
Not London.
Not France.
An old Harcourt research property near the coast.
Nathan recognized the name.
Blackthorn House.
His father had used it for private retreats.
Amelia had visited once.
Nathan remembered because she returned angry and refused to explain why.
Police surrounded the region discreetly.
Nathan traveled with Bennett.
He refused to stay behind.
This time she did not argue.
Blackthorn House stood above the sea.
Wind slammed against old windows.
The property appeared abandoned.
Nathan entered wearing a transmitter.
No jammer this time.
A child’s voice came from upstairs.
“Daddy!”
Nathan’s heart exploded.
“Jamie!”
Bennett’s team held outside until they knew Simon’s position.
Nathan climbed.
Jamie sat in a bedroom.
Unrestrained.
Mr. Buttons in his arms.
Simon stood near the window.
Right wrist watch.
Nathan stopped.
“Let him go.”
Simon smiled.
“He’s been asking for you.”
Jamie ran.
Simon did not stop him.
Nathan dropped to his knees and held his son.
“Are you hurt?”
Jamie shook his head.
“He gave me juice.”
Nathan looked toward Simon.
“Did you drink it?”
Jamie shook his head proudly.
“I knocked it over.”
Nathan almost laughed and cried at once.
“Good.”
Simon sighed.
“He has become suspicious.”
Nathan lifted Jamie.
“He learned from us.”
Simon looked toward the rabbit.
“Amelia really did hide that card well.”
Nathan’s face hardened.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“Why bring us here?”
Simon gestured toward the room.
“Because this is where Amelia found the original Harcourt records.”
Nathan frowned.
“What records?”
Simon walked toward a cabinet.
Nathan tightened his hold on Jamie.
“Stay where you are.”
Simon stopped.
“Open it yourself.”
Nathan did.
Inside were boxes.
Original partnership documents.
Trust deeds.
Private ledgers.
Everything that could establish the Ellis claim.
Nathan stared.
“You kept them.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because information is valuable.”
“You built your entire life around that sentence.”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked at him.
“Which brother are you?”
Simon smiled.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Amelia deserves to know which one killed her.”
Simon’s smile faded.
Nathan continued.
“Peter touched the car.”
“Adrian paid him.”
“But one of you gave the method.”
Simon looked toward the sea.
“Michael.”
Nathan’s pulse quickened.
“The man in custody?”
“Yes.”
Nathan did not fully trust the answer.
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Then give me proof.”
Simon nodded toward a recorder on the desk.
Nathan turned it on.
Michael’s voice.
“Peter says the line will leak slowly.”
Simon answered.
“That is not what Adrian asked for.”
Michael laughed.
“Adrian asked for a delay.”
“A broken car is a delay.”
Simon’s voice hardened.
“Not brakes.”
Michael replied.
“Then perhaps Amelia should stay home.”
Nathan felt rage.
The recording continued.
Simon said.
“If she is injured, Eleanor becomes impossible.”
Michael laughed.
“If she dies, Eleanor becomes obedient.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
There.
Motive.
Michael wanted Amelia’s death because it would deepen Eleanor’s guilt and fear.
Simon had objected.
Not enough to stop it.
Again, Amelia’s principle.
Who chose not to stop it?
Nathan looked at Simon.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“And you did nothing.”
“I told Michael not to.”
“You didn’t warn Amelia.”
“No.”
“You didn’t warn me.”
“No.”
“You didn’t call police.”
“No.”
Nathan stared.
“So do not sit there pretending your brother killed her alone.”
Simon’s expression hardened.
“I am not pretending.”
“You built the machine.”
“He pushed one lever.”
Simon looked away.
Nathan continued.
“You manipulated Mother.”
“You blackmailed Adrian.”
“You controlled Vale.”
“You paid Graham.”
“You kept Peter.”
“You covered the crash.”
“You used my son.”
“Every person made choices.”
“Yes.”
“You made sure their worst choices benefited you.”
Simon finally lost his calm.
“Because someone had to manage the chaos your family created.”
Nathan almost laughed.
“There it is.”
“The savior story.”
Simon stepped closer.
“Your mother stole.”
“Your brother lied.”
“Your father hid the Ellis claim.”
“Amelia threatened to detonate the company without understanding forty-eight thousand livelihoods depended on it.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Do not use employees as shields.”
“I protected the institution.”
“You protected control.”
“Someone needed control.”
Nathan shook his head.
“No.”
“Someone needed accountability.”
Simon laughed.
“You think truth feeds workers?”
“No.”
“But lies eventually starve everyone.”
Simon studied him.
“You sound like Amelia.”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“Good.”
Simon’s eyes moved toward Jamie.
“She would have hated what you became after she died.”
Nathan stared.
“That does not work anymore.”
Simon frowned.
“You use dead people to make the living doubt themselves.”
“You used Father.”
“Amelia.”
“Catherine.”
“Every secret child.”
“Every hidden account.”
“But Jamie taught me something.”
Simon looked amused.
“What?”
Nathan shifted his son in his arms.
“When he saw danger, he did not calculate the inheritance.”
“He did not ask what the company would lose.”
“He knocked the pastry away.”
Jamie looked proudly at his father.
Nathan continued.
“That is all I have to do now.”
Simon’s smile disappeared.
“Knock everything away?”
“If necessary.”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked toward the boxes.
“I will give the Ellis family the originals.”
“I will open the accounts.”
“I will cooperate with criminal investigators.”
“I will let shareholders decide whether I remain.”
“I will dissolve the family structures that treated children like assets.”
Simon stared.
“You will lose control.”
Nathan smiled faintly.
“I finally understand that control is not the same as safety.”
Sirens sounded faintly outside.
Simon’s face tightened.
“You brought them.”
“Yes.”
“You said you would come alone.”
“No.”
“You said that.”
“I never agreed.”
Jamie whispered.
“Lying is bad.”
Nathan almost smiled.
Simon looked at the boy.
Jamie stared back.
For once he did not hide.
Simon reached into his coat.
Nathan turned, shielding Jamie.
Police moved.
“Hands!”
Simon froze.
His hand emerged slowly.
Not a gun.
Another drive.
He held it between two fingers.
“The final archive.”
Bennett entered.
“Put it down.”
Simon looked at Nathan.
“This contains every Harcourt secret.”
“Good.”
“Your father.”
“Good.”
“Your mother.”
“Good.”
“Adrian.”
“Good.”
“Amelia.”
Nathan’s expression hardened.
“Put it down.”
Simon smiled.
“And you.”
Nathan froze.
“What about me?”
Simon tilted his head.
“Did you truly think you were the only innocent adult in this family?”
Nathan said nothing.
Simon placed the drive on the table.
“Ask yourself why Amelia was investigating your medication before you noticed symptoms.”
Nathan frowned.
Simon continued.
“Ask why she visited Margaret without telling you.”
“Ask why she kept evidence from you.”
Nathan felt the old doubt try to rise.
He recognized it now.
Simon saw it.
He smiled.
Then Nathan looked down at Jamie.
His son’s hand rested around his neck.
Nathan felt calm return.
“No.”
Simon’s smile faded.
“What?”
“I’m not doing this.”
“You don’t want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“But I will learn it from evidence.”
“Not from you using half-truths to poison the people I love.”
Simon stared.
Nathan continued.
“If there is something on that drive, police will examine it.”
“If I did something wrong, I will face it.”
“You do not get to make me fear the answer before I know the question.”
Bennett almost smiled.
Simon finally understood.
The method no longer worked.
Police arrested him.
Nathan carried Jamie outside.
The boy looked at the sea.
“Is that the bad man?”
Nathan answered.
“Yes.”
“Is Grandma bad?”
Nathan sighed.
“She did bad things.”
“Is Uncle Adrian bad?”
“He did bad things too.”
Jamie thought.
“Are you bad?”
Nathan looked at him.
“Sometimes I make bad choices.”
Jamie frowned.
“Did you put bugs in cake?”
Nathan almost laughed.
“No.”
“Then you’re doing okay.”
Nathan kissed his forehead.
Bennett emerged carrying the drive.
“We have it.”
Nathan nodded.
“What happens now?”
“Now everyone talks.”
“And the company?”
“That is your problem.”
Nathan laughed for the first time in days.
“Yes.”
“It is.”
He turned toward Blackthorn House.
Officers carried boxes of records.
Generations of secrets were finally leaving private rooms.
Then Bennett approached again.
“There’s something you should see.”
Nathan’s heart sank.
“Please tell me nobody else has a secret child.”
Bennett almost smiled.
“Not this time.”
She opened one file from the drive.
A video.
Amelia.
Nathan froze.
“Another one?”
“Yes.”
Timestamp.
The morning of her death.
Nathan swallowed.
He pressed play.
Amelia appeared.
She looked tired.
“Nathan.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
“If you find this, then I probably waited too long.”
Nathan held Jamie closer.
“I kept telling myself I needed one more document.”
“One more witness.”
“One more piece of proof.”
“That was a mistake.”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“I should have trusted you sooner.”
He stopped breathing.
Simon had tried to make him believe Amelia distrusted him.
The truth was more complicated.
She had been afraid of his medication.
Afraid of his family.
Afraid of evidence disappearing.
But she regretted hiding it.
Amelia continued.
“I do trust you.”
“I was afraid the drugs would make you doubt yourself.”
“I was afraid your mother would convince you I was overreacting.”
“I was afraid Adrian would destroy evidence.”
“And I was afraid Simon would hurt Jamie.”
Nathan wiped his eyes.
“But I was never afraid of you.”
Jamie looked at the screen.
Amelia smiled.
“If you ever think I kept secrets because I stopped loving you, don’t.”
“I kept secrets because I thought I could protect you alone.”
“I was wrong.”
Nathan bowed his head.
“So if you are hearing this, do what I should have done.”
“Tell the truth.”
“Tell all of it.”
“Even the ugly parts.”
“Especially the ugly parts.”
The video flickered.
Then Amelia leaned closer.
“And when Jamie is old enough, tell him his mother loved him more than any company, any name, any trust, or any fortune.”
Nathan began crying.
Jamie touched his face.
“Daddy.”
Nathan looked at him.
“Mommy said my name.”
“Yes.”
“She loved me.”
Nathan smiled through tears.
“More than anything.”
Jamie looked back at the screen.
“I knew.”
Nathan held him tighter.
The video continued for one final sentence.
“And Nathan.”
He looked up.
“Stop trying to save the Harcourt empire.”
“Save the people still alive.”
The screen went black.
Nathan stared for a long time.
Then he closed the laptop.
May you like
The choice was made.
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