Chapter 13 - THE TRIP WASN'T A VACATION
The Bahamas trip suddenly meant something different.
David had not simply run away with his mistress.
He had been testing an escape route.
According to David, his father learned that the bank’s compliance department had frozen one transfer.
Charles panicked.
He told David to move money offshore.
The yacht was partly pleasure.
Partly cover.
Partly a meeting.
“With whom?” I asked.
David hesitated.
“A private banker.”
“Name?”
His attorney intervened.
“That information is being provided to prosecutors.”
I laughed.
“Of course it is.”
David looked ashamed.
“Maya, I swear I wasn’t planning to disappear forever.”
“You packed for fourteen days and blocked your family.”
“I planned to come back.”
“You did come back.”
I leaned closer.
“And agents were waiting.”
He flinched.
There was one question I still needed answered.
“When you saw ICU on my message, why didn’t you call?”
David stared at the table.
“Tell me.”
He breathed slowly.
“I thought you were exaggerating.”
“Why?”
“Because the bank issue had me panicking.”
“That has nothing to do with Lily.”
“I know.”
“Then answer.”
He closed his eyes.
“Because I wanted one night where nothing was my problem.”
The sentence landed harder than any excuse.
One night.
That was all he wanted.
One night without responsibility.
One night without me.
Without the company.
Without the bank.
Without Lily.
But Lily only had one night left.
David whispered, “I thought I would call the next morning.”
I said nothing.
“The next morning, your number was blocked.”
“You could have unblocked it.”
“I know.”
“You could have called the hospital.”
“I know.”
“You could have called literally anyone.”
“I know.”
His voice broke.
“I know.”
I stood.
The meeting was over.
At the door, David called my name.
I stopped but did not turn.
“If I had answered, would she still be alive?”
That question had haunted me too.
Dr. Reeves had answered it.
So I gave David the truth.
“No.”
David began crying behind me.
“The doctors did everything they could.”
I forced myself to continue.
“You didn’t cause her heart to fail.”
Then I turned.
“But you made sure she died believing you chose not to come.”
David covered his face.
I walked out.
The next day, David signed a cooperation agreement.
He gave prosecutors the private banker’s name.
Account numbers.
Passwords.
Corporate records.
And one secret that even Agent Cole had not expected.
Charles Vance had not merely helped steal from Lily’s trust.
He had also stolen from David.
Nearly twelve million dollars.
May you like
And suddenly, father and son were preparing to destroy each other.
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