Chapter 8 - THE FAMILY DINNER
Daniel walked into the estate as if he owned it.
Margaret followed.
She was elegant.
Silver hair.
Black coat.
Diamond earrings.
Nothing about her suggested a woman who had supposedly been dead for eighteen years.
She looked at me.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then:
“You look exactly like your mother.”
I hated her immediately.
“You knew her.”
“Yes.”
“You threatened her.”
“Yes.”
Henry stepped forward.
“Margaret.”
She smiled.
“Brother.”
“You're responsible for all of this.”
“No.”
She looked at Daniel.
“He is.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Don't.”
Margaret laughed.
“You've always been weak.”
I looked at Daniel.
“Why are you here?”
He looked at me.
“Because I made a promise to your mother.”
“What promise?”
“To keep you alive.”
“Then why did you disappear?”
“Because I thought I could protect you from a distance.”
I shook my head.
“You let me grow up believing my mother had nobody.”
“I thought that was safer.”
“It wasn't.”
His eyes filled with regret.
“I know.”
Ethan stepped between us.
“Why did you let Madison believe her father was dead?”
Daniel looked at him.
“I didn't know if I was going to survive.”
“Why?”
“Because your grandfather ordered my execution.”
Henry closed his eyes.
“Charles did that?”
“Yes.”
Margaret interrupted.
“Charles ordered it because Daniel stole something.”
“What?”
Margaret smiled.
“The Prescott Legacy.”
Ethan looked confused.
“The trust?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Something much more valuable.”
“What?”
“Control.”
She stepped closer.
“Your grandfather created a hidden structure that allowed one person to control every Prescott asset.”
Ethan's face changed.
“Who?”
Margaret smiled.
“Madison.”
The room went silent.
I laughed.
“That's ridiculous.”
“It isn't.”
Margaret pulled out a document.
“Your grandfather discovered that his sons would destroy each other fighting for the company.”
She looked at Henry.
“And he was right.”
Then she turned toward Daniel.
“So he created a secret successor.”
Daniel looked at me.
“You.”
My knees weakened.
“I don't want your company.”
“I know.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
Margaret smiled.
“That's exactly why you're dangerous.”
She revealed another document.
My mother's signature.
“Your mother accepted the trust on your behalf.”
Henry stared at it.
“Why didn't she tell me?”
“Because she didn't trust you.”
Henry flinched.
Margaret smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Then she looked at Ethan.
“And you.”
He stared at her.
“What about me?”
“You were never supposed to inherit Prescott Global.”
His face went pale.
“Who was?”
Margaret pointed at me.
“Madison.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“No.”
“Your grandfather planned everything.”
“Stop.”
“You were only the caretaker.”
I looked at Ethan.
His entire world was collapsing.
Then Margaret dropped the final bomb.
“Your father knows.”
I looked at Daniel.
“Is that true?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad?”
Daniel whispered:
“Yes.”
Ethan stepped toward him.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me?”
“I was trying to protect you.”
Ethan laughed.
A broken sound.
“You all keep using that excuse.”
Then he walked out.
I followed.
“Ethan.”
He stopped.
For a moment, he looked at me.
There was pain in his eyes.
But something else too.
Something neither of us wanted to name.
“I need to know something.”
“What?”
“Before all this…”
He swallowed.
“Did you ever care about me?”
My heart broke.
“Yes.”
He closed his eyes.
“So did I.”
Then he walked away.
May you like
And behind us, Margaret smiled.
Because that was exactly what she wanted.
