Chapter 15 - THE FINAL PAGE
For one terrible second, no one moved.
Then my mother lifted her head.
The bullet had struck the wall behind her.
Ethan and my father continued fighting for the gun.
I grabbed the fireplace poker and knocked it from their hands.
The weapon slid beneath a cabinet.
Ava kicked the chair backward into my father’s legs.
He fell.
I pulled my mother away while Ethan seized the lockbox.
“Give me the drive,” I shouted.
“No.”
“This is not the time to negotiate.”
“It is the only time.”
My father rose and grabbed Ethan by the collar.
“You pathetic little fool.”
Ethan drove his elbow into our father’s chest.
The two of them crashed against the dining table.
The ledger copy fell into the fireplace.
Flames spread across the pages.
My father smiled when he saw them burn.
Then he noticed my expression.
“That is not the original.”
“No.”
His smile vanished.
The front windows shattered.
Federal officers entered from both sides of the house.
Agent Grant shouted for everyone to get down.
My father ran toward the hallway.
He was stopped before reaching the stairs.
Ethan dropped the lockbox and raised his hands.
My mother remained on the floor beside Ava.
Agent Grant secured the gun.
Then she opened the envelope.
The missing page contained twenty-seven names.
Judge Bell was one of them.
Martin Shaw was another.
Several university trustees appeared beside donation amounts.
Three state officials were listed.
At the bottom of the page was my father’s name.
Beside it, my grandfather had written one sentence.
Richard knows everything and will continue after my death.
The portable drive contained more than financial records.
It held videos.
My grandfather had secretly recorded meetings with my father.
In one recording, Richard discussed replacing scholarship money before an audit.
In another, he described using company contracts to control university officials.
The final video had been recorded two days before my grandfather died.
He sat alone inside the lake house study.
“If this recording is being watched, my son has chosen power over his family.”
My father closed his eyes as the video played.
My grandfather continued.
“I am not innocent.”
“I created the system Richard inherited.”
“But I leave controlling ownership of Bennett Technologies to my granddaughter, Emily Bennett.”
My breath stopped.
“She is young.”
“But she is the only member of this family who has ever questioned what our money cost other people.”
My father lunged toward the device.
Officers forced him back.
The video ended with instructions for Samuel Cross to protect the trust.
Agent Grant turned toward my father.
“Richard Bennett, you are under arrest.”
He stared at me as officers placed him in handcuffs.
“You think this company belongs to you now?”
“I do not want your company.”
“You will.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“I want the truth.”
He smiled.
“The truth will destroy your mother.”
My mother lowered her eyes.
My father continued.
“She did more than sign the first transfer.”
“Stop,” my mother whispered.
“She was the person who created Northbridge.”
Ethan looked at her.
“That is not true.”
My father laughed.
“Ask her.”
May you like
Every person in the room turned toward my mother.
She did not deny it.
