Chapter 6 - The Price of Silence
Kevin locked down the mansion.
Every exterior door was sealed.
Every window alarm was activated.
His private security team arrived within twelve minutes.
He did not tell them about the backup drive.
He did not know who Daniel had paid.
He did not know who his mother controlled.
He trusted no one.
Margaret arrived at 1:20 a.m.
Her car was stopped at the gate.
Kevin ordered security to let her through.
She entered the library and found him waiting beside Lauren’s portrait.
Annie remained upstairs with the twins.
Margaret removed her gloves.
“You are behaving irrationally.”
“My sons were drugged.”
Her face barely changed.
“The medication was prescribed.”
“Without my consent.”
“You were never here.”
Kevin flinched.
Margaret saw it.
She continued.
“They were violent.”
“They were terrified.”
“They required management.”
“They required a grandmother who did not blame them for their mother’s death.”
Margaret’s voice sharpened.
“I never blamed them.”
“They heard you.”
“Children misunderstand.”
“They understood enough to fear milk.”
Margaret walked toward the drinks cabinet.
Kevin blocked her.
“No whiskey tonight.”
Her expression chilled.
“You are not my father.”
“No.”
Kevin placed the laboratory report on the table.
“My father would have protected you.”
“I will not.”
Margaret looked at the paper.
“You think this proves abuse?”
“It proves someone sedated two five-year-old children for months.”
“It proves a doctor made a medical decision.”
“Did you pay him?”
Margaret remained silent.
Kevin took the silver cuff link from his pocket.
“Why was Daniel in Lauren’s bedroom?”
“I do not know.”
“Why did you delete the footage?”
Her eyes flickered.
Kevin felt the answer before she spoke.
“I was protecting the company.”
“From what?”
“Lauren had become obsessed.”
“With stolen money?”
Margaret’s lips pressed together.
Kevin stepped closer.
“How much?”
“She claimed eighty-four million dollars had been redirected through foreign subsidiaries.”
“Was she right?”
“She did not understand how international transactions work.”
“Did you check?”
“I spoke to Daniel.”
Kevin laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You asked the accused man whether he was guilty.”
“I asked the chief financial officer.”
“You asked the man whose cuff link was found beside my dead wife’s bed.”
Margaret’s composure began to break.
“She threatened to call federal investigators.”
“So you erased her footage.”
“I erased an argument.”
Kevin went still.
“You saw him here.”
Margaret looked toward Lauren’s portrait.
“Daniel came to speak with her.”
“About what?”
“He wanted the files.”
“Did he threaten her?”
Margaret’s eyes filled with something that resembled shame.
“He said the scandal would destroy the company.”
“That is not what I asked.”
“He told her that exposing him would damage you.”
Kevin moved closer.
“Did he threaten my children?”
Margaret looked away.
Kevin’s voice became a whisper.
“Answer me.”
“He said Lauren should consider what would happen to the boys if their father went to prison.”
Kevin’s face drained of color.
“And you deleted the footage?”
“I believed I could control him.”
“You protected him.”
“I protected your legacy.”
“My legacy is sleeping upstairs after being drugged under your orders.”
Margaret’s mouth trembled.
“I never ordered that dosage.”
“But you knew they were being medicated.”
She said nothing.
Kevin pointed toward the door.
“Get out.”
“Daniel will destroy you if you challenge him.”
“He already destroyed my wife.”
“We do not know that.”
Kevin pulled the backup drive from his pocket.
Margaret stared at it.
For the first time, real panic crossed her face.
“Give that to me.”
Kevin stepped backward.
“What is on it?”
“I do not know.”
“You just told me to surrender it.”
“Because keeping it puts the boys in danger.”
A sharp sound came from the hallway.
Glass breaking.
Kevin ran upstairs.
Annie was standing outside the twins’ room.
A security guard lay unconscious near the window.
May you like
The bed was empty.
The twins were gone.
