Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO FINALLY LEFT THE TABLE
Frank Mercer asked to meet me.
Ava initially advised against it.
Then Frank agreed that Ava could attend and that the conversation could take place at her office.
He arrived looking ten years older than he had at dinner.
Frank was Daniel's father's younger brother.
He had always been treated as the calm one in the family.
The reasonable one.
The man sent into conflicts after Patricia had made them worse.
He sat across from me and avoided looking at the small bandage still covering my stitches.
“I owe you an apology.”
I waited.
He cleared his throat.
“I knew the dinner had a purpose.”
“What purpose?”
“To pressure you.”
“Into giving Patricia my apartment.”
He nodded.
“You knew about the deed?”
“No.”
I studied him.
“I knew Daniel wanted you to add him to the title.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“No.”
He met my eyes.
“I did not know documents had already been prepared.”
“Did you know he wanted to borrow against the property?”
Frank's face told me enough before he answered.
“Yes.”
Ava leaned forward.
“How much did you know about the loan?”
Frank rubbed both hands over his face.
“Daniel's company is collapsing.”
I felt no surprise anymore.
“How bad?”
“Bad enough that payroll has been late twice.”
“Patricia gave him money.”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Three hundred and eighty thousand.”
The exact number landed heavily.
“From selling her townhouse?”
“Most of it.”
“So when Daniel lost her money, he promised her mine.”
Frank looked away.
“Essentially.”
Ava's pen moved across her legal pad.
“Did Daniel tell Patricia the apartment belonged solely to Rachel?”
“Yes.”
“Did Patricia understand Rachel had not agreed to any transfer?”
“Yes.”
My anger became strangely calm.
This family had discussed my property like a vacant building.
Not once had anyone wondered whether I might simply say no.
I looked at Frank.
“Why did you stay at the table after he hit me?”
His face tightened.
“I don't have a good answer.”
“I didn't ask for a good one.”
He took a breath.
“Because Patricia immediately started saying it had been an accident.”
“And you followed her.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me bleeding.”
“Yes.”
“And you still thought protecting Daniel mattered more.”
Frank looked down.
“Yes.”
There it was.
No excuse.
At least he gave me that.
Then he reached into his jacket.
Ava immediately said, “Keep your hands visible.”
Frank stopped.
“It's only a phone.”
He placed it on the table.
“There is a second group chat.”
I stared at him.
“One Naomi wasn't in.”
Frank nodded.
“It was Daniel, Patricia, Claire, me, and two others.”
“Why wasn't Naomi included?”
“Because Patricia said she couldn't be trusted.”
Apparently Patricia had been right.
Frank unlocked the phone.
He opened the conversation.
The messages went back months.
One of them made my stomach twist.
Patricia:
If Rachel refuses at dinner, we need consequences.
Claire:
What kind?
Patricia:
She cannot be allowed to believe saying no ends the discussion.
Daniel:
Leave that to me.
Ava photographed the screen.
Then another message appeared.
It had been sent the morning of the dinner.
Daniel:
Tonight she understands who makes decisions in this family.
Frank had responded with a single word.
Enough.
I looked at him.
“You knew he was angry.”
“Yes.”
“You still came.”
“Yes.”
“You still participated.”
“Yes.”
His voice broke slightly.
“I thought we were going to shame you.”
I almost couldn't believe the sentence.
“And somehow that sounds better to you?”
“No.”
For the first time, Frank looked directly at my injury.
“No, Rachel.”
May you like
He swallowed.
“It doesn't.”
