Chapter 13 - THE MAN IN THE MOUNTAINS
They reached the mountain cabin before dawn.
Arthur expected to find an empty building.
Instead, the door opened.
A man stood inside.
Older.
Scarred.
Walking with a cane.
Arthur stared at him.
The man stared back.
Neither spoke.
Then Arthur whispered:
“Michael?”
The man nodded.
Arthur's legs nearly collapsed.
“You're alive.”
Michael smiled bitterly.
“Barely.”
Sarah rushed toward him.
They embraced.
Emily cried.
Lily stood behind Arthur.
Michael looked at her.
His eyes filled with tears.
“My daughter.”
Lily stared.
“You're my dad?”
Michael nodded.
She slowly approached.
Then she hugged him.
For the first time in eight years, Lily had both of her biological parents beside her.
Arthur stepped outside.
He needed air.
Michael followed.
“Victor will come.”
“I know.”
“He wants the inheritance.”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
Michael looked confused.
“The inheritance was never money.”
Arthur remembered his mother's recording.
“The real inheritance is evidence.”
Michael nodded.
“Exactly.”
He explained everything.
Their father had created a secret legal trust.
It contained controlling ownership of Sterling Global.
But the trust could only be activated by three descendants.
Arthur.
Michael.
And Lily.
Victor had spent twenty years trying to eliminate them.
Arthur finally understood.
“The burger.”
Michael smiled.
“Yes.”
“Victor saw the news?”
“Everyone did.”
The story of the little girl feeding a homeless man had gone viral.
Millions had seen Lily.
Victor finally knew where she was.
Arthur looked toward the cabin.
“We need to end this.”
Suddenly, headlights appeared below.
Michael's face hardened.
“They're here.”
Gunfire erupted.
The cabin windows shattered.
Arthur pushed Lily to the floor.
Sarah fired back.
Daniel moved through the shadows.
Then a voice came through a loudspeaker.
“Arthur!”
Victor.
“Bring me Lily, and your family walks away.”
Arthur stepped toward the window.
“You've already lost.”
Victor laughed.
“No.”
Then another voice came through the speaker.
An elderly woman's voice.
Arthur froze.
His mother's voice.
“Arthur, come home.”
Arthur stared into the darkness.
May you like
She was alive.
And she was standing beside Victor.
