Chapter 10 - The Man Behind the Family
Theodore raised the gun before Brooks could.
“Drop it.”
Brooks stopped.
Mercer moved behind Evelyn.
His weapon pressed close to the oxygen line.
Adrian entered behind Naomi.
His face became blank.
“Uncle Theo?”
Theodore sighed.
“You always were slow when emotion got involved.”
Adrian stared at him.
“You kidnapped my mother.”
“No.”
Theodore gestured toward Mercer.
“He did.”
Mercer looked irritated.
Theodore continued.
“I merely provided instructions.”
Brooks lowered her weapon to the floor.
Naomi did the same with nothing.
Theodore looked at her.
“You are an extraordinary nuisance.”
Naomi answered.
“I hear that often.”
He smiled.
“I imagine you do.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“What do you want?”
Theodore’s expression changed.
“Everything your mother stole.”
Adrian laughed in disbelief.
“My mother stole from you?”
“Control.”
Theodore’s voice hardened.
“My father built Vale Meridian.”
“My brother inherited it.”
“Then your mother spent thirty years pretending she had some divine right to decide which Vale man deserved what.”
Adrian stared.
“She stopped Marcus from destroying the company.”
“She humiliated my son.”
“Marcus stole forty-eight million dollars.”
Theodore’s eyes flashed.
“He made a mistake.”
Naomi could not help herself.
“Forty-eight million is a very expensive mistake.”
Theodore turned toward her.
“Be quiet.”
Naomi held his gaze.
He looked genuinely offended.
As if servants were furniture that had begun speaking.
Samuel shifted in the chair.
“Theo.”
Theodore ignored him.
Adrian looked toward Evelyn.
“What did you do to her?”
“I did nothing.”
“Voss did.”
Theodore smiled faintly.
“Malcolm has always been useful.”
Naomi realized.
Voss was not loyal to Marcus.
Not Celeste.
Theodore.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Why Celeste?”
Theodore looked almost amused.
“Because anger is easy to direct.”
“She came to destroy us.”
“She came to destroy Evelyn.”
“Why?”
“Because Marcus told her enough truth.”
Naomi remembered Samuel’s explanation.
Arthur Crane had been framed for Marcus’s theft.
Theodore had protected his son.
Celeste had been weaponized with the truth.
Adrian whispered.
“You used her.”
“Yes.”
“You let her get engaged to me.”
Theodore smiled.
“That part was her idea.”
Adrian looked sick.
“Did she ever love me?”
Theodore shrugged.
“Ask her.”
Mercer’s phone vibrated.
He checked it.
Theodore glanced at him.
“What?”
Mercer’s expression changed.
“Police perimeter.”
Brooks almost smiled.
Theodore remained calm.
“Of course.”
He looked at Naomi.
“You called them.”
“I didn’t drive here in a parade by accident.”
Theodore chuckled.
“Fair.”
Then he moved toward the desk.
On it sat a laptop.
“Naomi.”
She did not move.
“You will record a statement.”
“No.”
“You will.”
“No.”
Mercer lifted the gun slightly.
Evelyn’s eyes opened.
Naomi saw them.
Weak.
But alert.
Theodore did not.
Naomi shifted her body slightly so he would continue facing her.
“What statement?”
“You will say Evelyn manipulated you.”
“You will renounce any authority she assigned.”
“And you will say she lacked capacity when she signed or recorded anything.”
Naomi looked at Samuel.
He gave the smallest shake of his head.
Do not.
Naomi returned her gaze to Theodore.
“Why would anyone believe me?”
Theodore smiled.
“Because you’ve served her for eleven years.”
“So?”
“Because the trusted Black housekeeper publicly saying the wealthy white matriarch had become irrational is extremely useful.”
Naomi’s jaw tightened.
There it was.
Not subtle.
Not hidden.
He knew exactly how he planned to use her.
Theodore continued.
“And if you refuse, evidence will emerge showing that you drugged Evelyn.”
“Evidence your people planted.”
“Evidence is what survives.”
Naomi looked at Mercer.
He did not meet her eyes.
“You planted the pills?”
Mercer said nothing.
“Did Voss give them to you?”
Silence.
Naomi continued.
“You lifted Raymond’s fingerprints.”
Mercer’s jaw tightened.
Theodore sighed.
“Daniel.”
Mercer looked at him.
“You really must stop reacting to questions.”
Naomi stored that.
Every crack mattered.
Adrian stepped forward.
“Take me instead.”
Theodore laughed.
“This is not a hostage negotiation.”
“You want control of the company.”
“Yes.”
“Give me the papers.”
“Adrian.”
Naomi warned.
He ignored her.
“I’ll sign.”
Theodore looked almost affectionate.
“That is exactly why Evelyn didn’t trust you with immediate voting authority.”
Adrian flinched.
Theodore continued.
“You make decisions emotionally.”
Naomi saw the truth hurt.
Then Evelyn moved her hand.
Slowly.
Beneath the blanket.
Naomi watched.
Her fingers reached toward the side rail.
Toward the call button attached to the transported hospital bed.
No.
Not call button.
An emergency oxygen alarm.
Naomi understood.
If Evelyn disconnected the oxygen hose, the unit would alarm.
Noise.
Distraction.
Naomi looked toward Brooks.
Brooks followed her eyes.
Understood.
Naomi continued speaking.
“Where is Celeste?”
Theodore looked at her.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Not your concern.”
“She’ll turn on you.”
“She already tried.”
Naomi frowned.
Theodore smiled.
“Why do you think she attacked Evelyn today?”
Samuel looked up.
Naomi said nothing.
Theodore continued.
“Celeste discovered Marcus intended to cut her out.”
“Out of what?”
“The trust access.”
“She was never going to receive it?”
“Of course not.”
Adrian stared.
Theodore continued.
“She was supposed to marry Adrian.”
“Help us establish incompetency.”
“Then sign a postnuptial transfer that Marcus controlled through her.”
Naomi understood.
“Celeste realized she was being used.”
“Yes.”
“So she tried to kill Evelyn and take the trust rights before you could change the arrangement.”
“Exactly.”
Theodore looked almost proud of the explanation.
“Ambitious girl.”
Adrian whispered.
“You’re talking about the woman I was going to marry.”
Theodore stared at him.
“And you are still thinking like a disappointed fiancé instead of a Vale.”
That sentence seemed to change Adrian.
His expression hardened.
“Maybe that’s why I’m not you.”
Theodore smiled.
“No.”
“That is why you will lose.”
Evelyn pulled the oxygen tube.
The alarm screamed.
Mercer turned.
Brooks moved.
Adrian lunged.
Naomi grabbed the laptop and threw it toward the lamp.
Glass exploded.
Darkness swallowed half the room.
A gunshot cracked.
Naomi dropped.
Someone shouted.
Mercer cursed.
Brooks tackled him into the desk.
Adrian reached Evelyn.
Theodore ran toward the rear door.
Naomi chased him.
He moved astonishingly fast for seventy-nine.
The cane had always been theater.
He reached the exterior stairs.
Naomi followed.
Below, police lights filled the shoreline.
Theodore stopped.
Nowhere to run.
He turned toward Naomi.
His face had changed.
No sophistication.
No charm.
Pure hatred.
“You.”
Naomi stayed six feet away.
“You should have stayed invisible.”
She answered.
“That was your mistake.”
Theodore’s hand moved toward his coat.
Naomi froze.
Then a voice came behind him.
“Don’t.”
Evelyn.
Weak.
Supported by Adrian.
But standing.
Theodore turned.
Evelyn stared at her brother-in-law.
“You always were a coward.”
Theodore’s face twisted.
“You ruined this family.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s voice barely carried.
“I stopped you from finishing it.”
Police rushed up the exterior stairs.
Theodore raised both hands.
He smiled at Evelyn.
“You think this ends with me?”
Evelyn’s expression changed.
Theodore continued.
“You don’t even know where Celeste is.”
Naomi felt dread.
Theodore laughed.
“She’s been out of custody for twenty-seven minutes.”
Brooks appeared behind them with Mercer handcuffed.
“What?”
Theodore’s smile widened.
“Her attorney posted bond.”
Brooks grabbed her phone.
Too late.
Theodore looked at Adrian.
“And she took something when she left.”
Adrian’s face tightened.
“What?”
Theodore whispered.
“Your future.”
Then Naomi’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
Celeste’s voice came through.
No disguise.
No tears.
“Naomi.”
Naomi looked at Evelyn.
“What do you want?”
Celeste laughed softly.
“You keep asking the wrong question.”
“What is the right one?”
Celeste answered.
“Who did Evelyn love enough to lie for?”
The line disconnected.
Seconds later, Adrian received a photograph.
He opened it.
His face turned white.
Naomi stepped closer.
The photograph showed a young woman tied to a chair.
Dark hair.
Terrified eyes.
Naomi recognized her instantly.
Rachel Vale.
Adrian’s twenty-three-year-old half-sister.
May you like
The child Evelyn had spent twenty-three years pretending did not exist.
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