WHO FIRED HIM?” THE CEO DEMANDED—NO ONE KNEW THE QUIET SINGLE DAD WAS WORTH BILLIONS!
Chapter 7
The estate was surrounded by trees.
No lights.
No guards.
No visible security.
That made David suspicious.
Victoria’s father had owned the property for decades.
Jonathan had supposedly been hiding there.
David parked several hundred yards away.
Victoria looked at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s too quiet.”
They approached on foot.
The front door was unlocked.
Inside, everything looked untouched.
Furniture covered in sheets.
Dust on the floors.
Old family photographs.
Victoria stopped when she saw one.
Her mother.
Holding a baby.
Beside her stood a young man.
Jonathan.
Victoria had never seen him before.
She touched the photograph.
“Why would my mother keep this?”
David looked at it.
“Because she loved both of you.”
Victoria’s eyes filled.
Then they heard a noise upstairs.
They moved carefully.
A bedroom door was open.
Inside was a desk.
On it were documents.
Jonathan’s plans.
Bank accounts.
Acquisition structures.
And photographs.
David’s photograph.
Emma’s photograph.
Victoria’s photograph.
Victoria froze.
“He’s been watching us.”
David picked up a file.
Inside was his entire history.
His former company.
His wife.
His daughter.
His fortune.
Everything.
Then he found one sentence.
CARTER MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE CONTROL TRANSFER.
Victoria looked at him.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he was targeting you.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wanted to protect you.”
She shook her head.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
David looked at her.
“What?”
“My father.”
“My brother.”
“You.”
She paused.
“Everyone decides what I can handle.”
David understood.
“You’re right.”
They heard footsteps.
Someone was coming.
David pushed Victoria behind the door.
Jonathan entered.
He was in his late fifties.
Elegant.
Calm.
He looked nothing like the monster Victoria expected.
He saw David.
Then smiled.
“So.”
David stepped forward.
“Jonathan.”
Jonathan looked amused.
“You know my name.”
“I know everything.”
Jonathan laughed.
“That’s what I like about you.”
Victoria stepped out.
“Why?”
Jonathan looked at her.
“Sister.”
She stared.
“You destroyed my life.”
“No.”
“You stole my inheritance.”
“No.”
“You manipulated Dad.”
“No.”
Jonathan’s expression hardened.
“They lied to me first.”
He explained.
He had been born before Victoria.
Their mother loved him.
Their father didn’t.
When the family learned Jonathan had a neurological condition as a child, their father considered him unsuitable to inherit the company.
So he was sent away.
His existence was erased.
Victoria was raised as the sole heir.
Jonathan spent decades building his own empire.
He became wealthy.
Powerful.
But he never forgot.
“I wanted what was mine.”
Victoria replied:
“You could have come home.”
Jonathan laughed.
“Would they have welcomed me?”
Silence.
Then David spoke.
“You didn’t want the company.”
Jonathan looked at him.
“What?”
“You wanted revenge.”
Jonathan smiled.
“Perhaps.”
David continued.
“If you wanted control, you could have bought shares legally.”
Jonathan’s expression changed.
“But you wanted Victoria to lose everything.”
Jonathan stared.
David had understood him.
Jonathan suddenly raised a weapon.
Victoria froze.
David stepped forward.
“Don’t.”
Jonathan pointed it at him.
“You always think you’re smarter.”
“No.”
David looked calm.
“I just know what people do when they’re afraid.”
Jonathan’s hand trembled.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Jonathan looked toward the window.
Victoria had called the authorities before entering.
Jonathan smiled.
“You think this is over?”
David answered:
“No.”
Jonathan looked at him.
“Then what?”
David stepped closer.
“It’s over when you stop threatening my daughter.”
Jonathan lowered the weapon.
Police entered.
But before they arrested him, Jonathan whispered:
“You don’t know who really controls the trust.”
David looked at Victoria.
She turned pale.
Because Jonathan had just revealed the conspiracy was larger than either of them knew.
