Chapter 15 - The Father Who Planned for Betrayal
Daniel reached the lake house at 11:18 p.m.
The front door stood open.
Inside, one lamp burned beside the stone fireplace.
Vanessa sat in a chair with her wrists tied.
Charles stood behind her holding a pistol.
“You came,” Charles said.
Daniel stopped ten feet inside the room.
“Let her go.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly. “Now you want to save me?”
Charles tightened his grip on her shoulder.
“Quiet.”
Daniel kept his eyes on his brother.
“Emily’s alive. The records are recovered. Victor is in custody. You’re done.”
Charles smiled. “You still think this is about avoiding prison?”
He tossed a document onto the table.
It was a stock-transfer authorization.
“If you sign, I disappear. If you don’t, Vanessa dies and the police find your fingerprints all over the weapon.”
“You can’t possibly think that will work.”
“I don’t need it to work forever. I need six hours.”
Outside, wind pushed across the frozen lake.
Daniel heard nothing from Ortiz’s team.
Then his phone buzzed.
A message from Sarah.
WE FOUND HENRY’S FILE. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING.
Charles saw Daniel glance down.
His expression changed.
“What did she find?”
Daniel said nothing.
Charles raised the gun.
“What did Sarah find?”
Vanessa suddenly drove her elbow backward into Charles’s stomach.
The gun fired.
A lamp shattered.
Daniel tackled Charles.
They crashed across the coffee table.
Vanessa threw herself to the floor.
Charles hit Daniel with the pistol and ran toward the back door.
Police lights exploded through the windows.
Ortiz had arrived.
Charles stopped.
For the first time, panic crossed his face.
He turned toward Daniel.
“You want to know why Dad left you that envelope?”
Daniel wiped blood from his eyebrow.
Charles smiled.
“Because he knew I’d betray you.”
May you like
Then his smile disappeared.
“And he knew you weren’t his son.”
