Chapter 8 - The Daughter Nobody Knew About
At first, I thought Emily had misunderstood.
Then Calvin opened the next file.
A DNA report appeared.
Charles Prescott.
Samantha Reed.
Probability of biological relationship: greater than 99.9 percent.
Samantha was Charles Prescott's daughter.
Rachel leaned back.
"That changes everything."
Emily stared at the screen.
"Margaret knew?"
Calvin opened another document.
Margaret had ordered the test.
The date was three years earlier.
According to Charles's private notes, Samantha's mother had worked for the Prescott family decades ago.
Charles had secretly supported Samantha from a distance.
Years later, Samantha joined the foundation without knowing why she had been hired so easily.
Eventually she discovered the truth.
And Charles made a decision Margaret could not tolerate.
He planned to leave Samantha voting control of a major family trust.
Not because she was his favorite.
Because he had discovered Ethan and Brandon were using the Blue Room system far more aggressively than he had authorized.
Rachel frowned.
"So Charles created the machine."
"And then became afraid of what his sons were doing with it," Agent Brooks said.
That did not make Charles innocent.
It made the family war more complicated.
A recorded argument confirmed it.
Charles shouted at Margaret.
"You were supposed to protect the companies."
Margaret answered.
"I am protecting them."
"By blackmailing half the city?"
"By ensuring nobody can destroy what we built."
Charles said Samantha's name.
Margaret became furious.
"She is not a Prescott."
"She is my daughter."
"She is a mistake."
Emily closed her eyes.
The recording continued.
Charles threatened to expose everything.
Margaret responded with five chilling words.
"Then you'll disappear with her."
The recording ended.
Agent Brooks immediately asked where Charles had last been seen.
His Switzerland trip now looked suspicious.
Calvin checked travel documents on the card.
The passport scan showed a reservation.
But another file contained security footage from the Prescott estate taken the supposed morning of Charles's departure.
Charles never left the house.
A later video showed Margaret entering the Blue Room.
Charles followed.
He did not appear again.
Emily whispered.
"Oh my God."
Agent Brooks contacted her team.
A federal warrant application was already being prepared based on the corruption evidence.
Now investigators had reason to look for two potentially endangered witnesses.
Charles.
And Samantha.
That afternoon, Brandon Prescott appeared at the hospital alone.
He did not demand entry.
He asked to speak to Rachel.
She met him in a secured conference room.
Agent Brooks remained nearby.
I attended with Emily's permission.
Brandon looked exhausted.
The arrogance was gone.
"What do you want?" Rachel asked.
Brandon placed a leather folder on the table.
"Five million dollars."
Nobody spoke.
"For what?" Rachel asked.
"Emily signs a confidentiality agreement."
"She withdraws every accusation."
"Victoria gives us the card."
"And everyone walks away."
I looked at him.
"You tried intimidation."
"Now you're trying money."
Brandon stared at the table.
"You don't understand my mother."
"Then explain her."
He looked up.
"If she thinks that card can destroy her, she will destroy everyone holding it."
Rachel leaned forward.
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
For the first time, Brandon sounded frightened.
"It's a warning."
Emily asked through the speaker from her room.
"Where is Samantha?"
Brandon froze.
"Where is your father?" I asked.
His face told us everything.
He knew something.
Rachel pushed.
"Brandon."
He closed his eyes.
"My father is alive."
Emily covered her mouth.
"Where?"
Brandon looked toward the camera in the conference room.
Then whispered.
"I won't say it in here."
Agent Brooks entered.
Brandon nearly jumped.
She sat down.
"You can say it to me."
He stared at her.
Then at me.
Then at Rachel.
"My mother moved him two days ago."
"Where?"
Brandon swallowed.
"To Blackwood."
Emily whispered.
"What is Blackwood?"
May you like
Brandon answered.
"Our family's private psychiatric facility."
