Chapter 10 - THE BETRAYAL THAT STARTED IT ALL
The person standing at the end of the hallway lowered the gun.
Nathan Whitmore felt the world slow down.
Because the face in front of him belonged to someone he had trusted for years.
Someone who had sat at his family table.
Someone who had watched him grow.
Someone who knew every weakness inside the Whitmore empire.
“James?”
The man who had been Nathan’s closest investigator looked at him with tired eyes.
“I’m sorry, Nathan.”
The words hurt more than the gun.
Nathan stared.
“You?”
James lowered the weapon slightly.
“You were never supposed to find out this way.”
Victoria stepped back.
Even she looked shocked.
Dominic smiled from behind them.
“Finally.”
Nathan turned toward him.
“You knew.”
Dominic laughed.
“Of course I knew.”
He walked closer.
“James has been working with me for twelve years.”
Nathan looked at James.
Twelve years.
The number hit harder than anything else.
All those investigations.
All those reports.
All those times Nathan trusted him with his company’s secrets.
Every piece of information had been leaving his hands.
“How much?”
James looked away.
“How much what?”
“How much did you give him?”
Silence.
Then James answered.
“Everything.”
Nathan felt something inside him collapse.
Not because of the money.
Not because of the business.
Because James was family.
At least, that was what Nathan believed.
“You were there when my mother died.”
James looked down.
“Yes.”
Nathan stepped forward.
“Were you involved?”
James didn’t answer.
That was enough.
Nathan’s face changed.
“Answer me.”
James swallowed.
“No.”
A pause.
“But I knew who was.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
James looked toward Dominic.
“Not him.”
The room became silent.
Dominic’s smile disappeared.
Nathan noticed.
That was the first crack.
“Then who?”
James looked at the old journal still in Nathan’s hand.
“Your father’s partner.”
Nathan froze.
“My father’s partner?”
James nodded.
“The man your father trusted more than anyone.”
Nathan felt the pieces moving.
A hidden betrayal.
A secret partner.
A murder.
“Who?”
James whispered:
“Samuel Grant.”
The old attorney.
Nathan remembered.
The man who helped him escape.
The man who said his mother was protecting him.
The man who claimed to know the truth.
“No.”
James looked at him sadly.
“Yes.”
Suddenly, Samuel’s voice came from behind.
“I was hoping you would never learn that.”
Everyone turned.
The old attorney stood near the entrance.
Nathan stared.
“You followed us.”
Samuel looked exhausted.
“I tried to protect you.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
The old man lowered his eyes.
“Because it was true.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Samuel remained silent.
Nathan stepped closer.
“For once in your life, stop protecting me.”
The old attorney closed his eyes.
Then he spoke.
“Your father was not murdered because of Dominic.”
Nathan waited.
“He was murdered because he discovered the person controlling Dominic.”
A cold silence filled the room.
Nathan looked at him.
“Who?”
Samuel’s voice shook.
“The person who built the entire operation.”
Nathan felt his heart slow.
“Who?”
Samuel looked directly at him.
“Your uncle.”
The room exploded into chaos.
Nathan stared.
“My uncle died twenty years ago.”
Samuel shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at the journal.
“Your father helped fake his death.”
Nathan couldn’t speak.
“Why?”
“Because your uncle was the real enemy.”
Dominic suddenly laughed.
Everyone looked at him.
“What’s funny?”
Dominic smiled.
“For twenty years, we all thought we were fighting each other.”
He looked at Nathan.
“But the real player was always above us.”
Then every light in the house went off.
Again.
But this time…
everyone knew it wasn’t Dominic.
A voice came through the security system.
“Hello, Nathan.”
Nathan froze.
The voice was older.
Familiar.
Impossible.
Because the man speaking…
was supposed to be dead.
“Nathan…”
The voice continued.
“You finally found the truth.”
Nathan slowly looked at the speakers.
May you like
And whispered:
“Uncle Richard?”
