My Son Raised a Belt at Her—Then I Grabbed the Radio and Said, “Come Inside. Now.”

Tyler answered before anyone could stop him.

"What did you do to me?"

Victor sighed on the other end. "Your father has everyone in the room, doesn't he?"

"Answer me!"

"I gave you the truth when nobody else would."

"You gave me fake screenshots."

"Did I?"

Tyler looked at Grant.

Victor's voice softened. "Your mother distrusted Leah. Your father knows it. He just won't tell you why."

Grant said, "Put him on speaker."

Tyler did.

"Hello, little brother," Victor said.

Grant's fists tightened. "You cut Caroline's brake line."

"That's a dramatic accusation."

"We have her recording."

Silence.

Not shock. Calculation.

"Then you have a recording," Victor said. "Not context."

Renee silently motioned for Grant to keep him talking.

Grant said, "What did Caroline refuse to sign?"

Victor laughed. "There he is. Finally asking the right question."

"Tell me."

"Your wife discovered that the family trust owned a controlling block of Mercer Dynamics through a structure Dad created before he died. When Tyler turns eighteen, part of that voting control transfers to him."

Grant knew the trust existed. He did not know the control rights were that large.

Victor continued, "Caroline wanted the trust moved under an outside fiduciary. She thought I was dangerous."

"She was right."

"Maybe. But she also thought you were weak."

Grant glanced at Tyler.

Victor was not talking to him. He was talking through him.

"What do you want?" Grant asked.

"Simple. Sign temporary voting authority to me until Tyler is eighteen. I disappear. Ryan disappears. Your family gets to grieve in peace."

Leah said, "And if he doesn't?"

Victor's voice warmed. "Hello, Leah. I wondered when you'd join us."

She flinched.

"Where is the drive your mother gave Ryan?" Victor asked.

"I don't know."

"That's unfortunate."

"Why?"

"Because that drive doesn't just implicate me."

Leah's eyes narrowed.

Victor said, "It implicates Grant."

Tyler turned sharply toward his father.

Grant felt the room tighten.

Victor continued, "Ask him where he was at 11:40 p.m. the night before Caroline's crash. Ask him why he deleted his location history the next morning."

The call ended.

Everyone looked at Grant.

Leah spoke first.

"Where were you?"

Grant swallowed.

"With Victor."

Tyler's face hardened again.

"Doing what?"