Chapter 11 - THE FATHER BEHIND THE FOUNDATION
Charles Bennett arrived at the hotel at 2:14 a.m.
He was seventy-one.
Silver-haired.
Elegant.
And furious.
Rachel had once admired him.
After Daniel died, Charles had held her at the funeral and promised she and Emily would always be family.
Then he slowly disappeared from their lives.
Now Rachel understood why.
Charles entered the conference room.
Victor sat on one side with his attorneys.
Rachel sat opposite him.
Grant stood near the door.
Charles looked at his sons’ widow.
“You’ve caused enough damage.”
Rachel almost smiled.
“I caused it?”
“You turned a private family matter into a criminal investigation.”
“Your son framed your granddaughter for theft.”
Charles looked at Emily through the glass wall of the adjoining office.
“She isn’t my granddaughter.”
The words landed like a blade.
Rachel stood.
“What did you say?”
Victor looked at his father.
Even he seemed surprised.
Charles remained calm.
“Daniel told me years ago he had doubts.”
Rachel stared at him.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
Charles reached inside his coat.
Victor suddenly said,
“Dad.”
Charles ignored him.
He placed an envelope on the table.
DNA TEST.
Rachel didn’t touch it.
Charles pushed it toward her.
“Daniel had it done.”
Rachel looked at Victor.
His expression told her something was wrong.
Grant opened the envelope.
Read it.
Then looked at Charles.
“This isn’t a DNA test.”
Charles froze.
Grant turned the page around.
It was a laboratory request.
Never completed.
Rachel laughed softly.
“You didn’t even read your own lie.”
Victor closed his eyes.
Charles’s face hardened.
Rachel leaned toward him.
“You were going to use this too, weren’t you?”
Charles said nothing.
“First I’m unstable.”
“Then Emily’s a thief.”
“And if that doesn’t work, she isn’t Daniel’s daughter.”
Rachel pushed the paper back.
“You people really planned for everything.”
Thomas entered.
“Not everything.”
He placed the Ellison ledger on the table.
Charles looked at it.
And all color left his face.
Thomas noticed.
“So you recognize it.”
Charles said nothing.
Thomas opened the ledger.
“Ellison Strategic Holdings.”
He pointed at a signature.
“Approved by Charles Bennett.”
Victor looked at his father.
“You told me those records were destroyed.”
The room froze.
Charles turned slowly.
Rachel stared at Victor.
Grant stared at Victor.
Victor realized what he had just said.
Charles whispered,
“You idiot.”
Grant stepped forward.
“Mr. Bennett, would you like to repeat that?”
Victor’s attorney immediately spoke.
“No.”
But the damage was done.
Charles turned on Victor.
“You were supposed to handle Daniel.”
Rachel’s blood went cold.
Victor stood.
“Shut up.”
“You panicked.”
“Stop talking.”
“You always panic.”
Victor slammed both hands onto the table.
“I said stop!”
Charles stared at him.
Then said the sentence Rachel had waited two years to hear.
“You should have taken the ledger and left Daniel alive.”
Silence.
Grant moved first.
“Charles Bennett, do not move.”
Charles realized what he had said.
Too late.
Victor looked toward the door.
Then toward the windows.
Rachel saw calculation return to his eyes.
May you like
And she knew immediately.
He was going to run.
