Chapter 8: The Last Man I Trusted
“Everybody stay where they are.””
Daniel's voice was calm.
Too calm.
The gun in his right hand pointed toward the floor, but his finger rested dangerously close to the trigger.
Vanessa turned toward him.
“Daniel?””
He didn't look at her.
Instead, his eyes settled on the brown envelope in Ethan's hand.
“Put it down.””
Ethan shook his head.
“You've got some nerve showing your face here.””
Daniel raised the gun slightly.
“I said put it down.””
Robert stepped forward.
“Daniel, don't make another mistake.””
Daniel laughed.
“You're the one who made the first mistake, Robert.””
I stood between my father and the others.
“Put the gun away.””
Daniel looked at me.
“You're not in a position to give orders.””
“You worked for my family for fifteen years.””
“And you never once asked what I wanted.””
“What did you want?””
His expression twisted.
“Everything you were handed without earning it.””
I stared at him.
“Is this about money?””
“It's about what I deserve.””
Ethan laughed.
“That's interesting. You stole three million dollars from a charity and suddenly think you're entitled to a family fortune?””
Daniel swung the gun toward him.
“Shut your mouth.””
Vanessa moved closer to Daniel.
“Give me the gun. We need to leave.””
He finally looked at her.
“Leave?””
“Yes. We can still get out.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You're not going anywhere with me.””
She stared at him.
“What?””
“You've become a liability.””
Vanessa's face twisted.
“You promised we'd leave together.””
“I promised we'd get the money.””
“And the baby?””
Daniel looked at her coldly.
“That's your problem.””
I watched Vanessa's expression collapse.
For the first time, I saw the full extent of what she'd done to herself.
She had betrayed me for a man who was now abandoning her.
Daniel took another step toward Ethan.
“Give me the envelope.””
Ethan held it tighter.
“You can have it when you explain what happened to the original will.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“You already know what happened.””
“Tell Marcus.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Your father burned it.””
I turned toward Robert.
“What?””
My father shook his head.
“That's not true.””
Daniel laughed.
“I watched him do it.””
Robert stepped forward.
“You watched me burn a copy.””
Daniel's expression changed.
I looked between them.
“What copy?””
Robert reached into his jacket and removed a folded document.
“Your grandfather made two original copies of the will. One was stored in the family office. The other was placed with an independent solicitor.””
Daniel tightened his grip on the gun.
“That's a lie.””
“No,” Robert replied.
“I found out where the second copy was six months ago.””
Ethan stared at him.
“Where?””
Robert looked at him.
“With Claire's solicitor.””
Ethan went pale.
“My mother?””
“Yes.””
“My mother died three years ago.””
“I know.””
“Then where is the document?””
Robert hesitated.
“Her solicitor has it.””
Ethan looked genuinely stunned.
For years, he'd believed the original will was gone.
His anger seemed to falter.
Then Daniel interrupted.
“None of that matters anymore.””
He pulled a small device from his pocket.
A remote control.
I recognized it immediately.
The same kind of controller used to access the estate's security system.
“You disabled the cameras,” I said.
Daniel nodded.
“I did.””
“Why?””
“Because I needed time to remove the recording unit.””
“Why didn't you destroy the footage?””
He smiled.
“Because I needed to see what Vanessa had already taken.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
Daniel looked toward her.
“You told me you had the envelope.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“I did.””
“Then where is it?””
She looked at Ethan.
He held up the brown envelope.
“Here.””
Daniel's expression darkened.
“That's not the envelope I mean.””
Robert suddenly looked at him.
“What did you take?””
Daniel ignored him.
I stepped forward.
“Daniel, explain.””
He raised the gun.
“Stay back.””
I stopped.
Daniel slowly turned the remote in his fingers.
“There's a second recording, Marcus. One that your father doesn't want you to see.””
“What recording?””
“The one from the study.””
Robert went completely still.
I looked at him.
“Dad?””
He lowered his eyes.
Daniel smiled.
“Ask him what happened after Vanessa entered his study.””
Robert sighed.
“I was trying to get the report.””
“That's not what happened,” Daniel said.
He pointed toward the old foundation office.
“There's a recording of Robert handing Vanessa the missing envelope. Then he asked her to sign something.””
I turned to my father.
“Is that true?””
Robert looked at me.
“I asked her to sign a statement confirming that she'd received the financial report.””
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because she refused.””
Daniel laughed.
“And then she started tearing her dress.””
I looked at Vanessa.
She shook her head.
“That's not the entire story.””
Daniel's voice grew louder.
“It's enough.””
Ethan suddenly moved.
He lunged toward Daniel's gun hand.
A loud bang echoed through the conservatory.
The glass fountain shattered.
I ducked.
Robert grabbed my shoulder and pulled me behind the marble table.
Daniel stumbled backward.
Ethan hit the floor, clutching his arm.
Vanessa screamed.
“Ethan!””
I pushed myself up.
Daniel stood near the doorway, breathing hard.
The gun was still in his hand.
“Don't move!”” he shouted.
Then something unexpected happened.
A security alarm began sounding outside the conservatory.
Red lights flashed through the glass walls.
Daniel looked toward the entrance.
He knew.
Someone had called the authorities.
He turned toward the service exit.
Robert stepped in front of him.
“It's over, Daniel.””
Daniel raised the gun.
“Move.””
“No.””
“You think I'm going to prison while you sit in that mansion?””
Robert stared at him.
“You made your choices.””
Daniel's hand trembled.
Then a voice rang out from behind him.
“Drop the weapon.””
Two uniformed officers stood in the doorway.
Daniel turned.
For one second, I thought he would fight.
Then he lowered the gun.
An officer rushed forward and kicked it away. Another forced Daniel against the wall and handcuffed him.
Vanessa stood frozen.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath.
One officer looked toward Ethan.
“Is he injured?””
“His arm,” I replied.
The officer called for medical assistance.
I knelt beside Ethan.
Blood stained his sleeve, but the wound looked shallow.
He grimaced.
“Don't look so worried. I haven't died yet.””
I almost smiled.
Then I heard footsteps.
Vanessa was walking toward the exit.
An officer stepped in front of her.
“Ma'am, please stay where you are.””
She looked at me.
“Marcus.””
I stood.
“Don't.””
“Please, let me explain.””
“You've explained enough.””
She began crying.
“I need you.””
I stared at the woman I'd married.
Then I looked at the torn dress lying over a chair.
The dress that had nearly destroyed my relationship with my father.
“You didn't need me,” I said.
“You needed my name.””
Her face crumpled.
An officer asked whether she had any weapons.
She shook her head.
Then she reached into her handbag and removed the white envelope.
“I have something,” she whispered.
She held it out.
I looked at the envelope.
It was sealed with red wax.
The same envelope she'd taken from beneath the collection box.
Robert approached slowly.
“Vanessa, give it to the officer.””
She looked at me.
“Not until you understand.””
I took the envelope.
The seal was broken.
Inside were three documents.
The first was a financial report.
The second was a copy of the original estate agreement.
The third was a letter addressed to me.
In my grandfather's handwriting.
I recognized the signature immediately.
But the letter was dated five days before his death.
I unfolded it.
The first sentence made my heart stop.
*To my grandson Marcus,*
*There is something I need you to know about the woman you will one day marry.*
I looked up.
Nobody moved.
My grandfather had written that letter decades before Vanessa and I met.
How could he have known?
I continued reading.
*If she ever comes into your life, ask her one question. Ask her what happened to the little girl who disappeared from the Hale estate in 1997.*
I lowered the letter.
“Dad?””
Robert's face had turned white.
“Where did you get that?””
I looked at Vanessa.
She was crying silently.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“Marcus, that's why I married you.””
