Chapter 13 - EVELYN’S REVENGE
Audrey called Evelyn immediately.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
She booked a flight to Vermont.
Julian went with her.
This time, Audrey didn’t argue.
They found Evelyn sitting in her kitchen.
Waiting.
No police.
No panic.
Just coffee.
Audrey walked in.
“Tell me he’s lying.”
Evelyn looked at her daughter.
“He isn’t.”
Audrey felt something break.
“You worked with Marcus?”
“For a while.”
“Why?”
“Because your father was never going to make things right.”
“So you helped them steal the company?”
“No.”
“What did you do?”
Evelyn stared into her coffee.
“I gave Marcus access to documents.”
Audrey laughed in disbelief.
“You’re the reason he knew where the box was.”
“Yes.”
“You staged the break-in?”
“No. Daniel escalated everything.”
“You threatened yourself?”
“No.”
Julian sat quietly.
Audrey paced.
“Why, Mom?”
Evelyn finally looked up.
“Because I wanted Richard to lose something.”
Audrey stopped.
Evelyn’s voice shook.
“You saw me after the affair.”
“I was a kid.”
“I know.”
“You stopped eating.”
“I know.”
“You left.”
“I had to.”
“And all these years…”
Audrey stared at her.
“You were still fighting him.”
“I was trying to get justice.”
“No.”
Audrey shook her head.
“You wanted revenge.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt.
Audrey sat down slowly.
“So everybody wanted something.”
Evelyn frowned.
“What?”
“Lenora wanted property. Marcus wanted revenge. Daniel wanted the company. Dad wanted to protect his name.”
She looked at Julian.
“And you?”
Julian didn’t answer immediately.
Audrey’s voice hardened.
“What did you want?”
He met her eyes.
“At first?”
“Yes.”
“You.”
Audrey looked away.
“And after you found out about the money?”
Julian swallowed.
“I thought about it.”
Evelyn watched him.
Audrey went still.
Julian continued.
“When my mother told me what Harbor Street was worth, I thought about what having that money could do.”
Audrey’s jaw tightened.
“At least you admit it.”
“I also hated myself for thinking about it.”
“But you did.”
“Yes.”
Audrey stood.
“That’s enough.”
Julian rose.
“Audrey.”
“No.”
“You asked.”
“And you answered.”
“I came back because of you.”
“After you learned what I could inherit.”
“I came back because I regretted what I did.”
She laughed.
“And the money didn’t hurt.”
“No. It didn’t.”
She stared at him.
There it was.
The ugly truth.
Not pure love.
Not pure greed.
Something messier.
More human.
Audrey hated that more than a simple lie.
Julian stepped closer.
“I’m not asking you to trust me.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking you to look at what I did after I knew.”
“You asked about the property.”
“Yes.”
“You asked about Dad’s health.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted to know the inheritance.”
“Yes.”
“Exactly.”
“Because I had just learned my whole life was a lie.”
Audrey’s eyes burned.
“And so had I.”
Silence.
Then Evelyn said quietly, “Audrey.”
Audrey turned.
Her mother slid a document across the table.
“What is this?”
“A new deed.”
Audrey picked it up.
Evelyn said, “Richard signed it yesterday.”
Audrey read.
Her eyes widened.
Harbor Street was being transferred.
Not to Lenora.
Not to Audrey.
Not to Julian.
To a charitable land trust jointly controlled by the descendants of both families.
Audrey looked up.
“Why?”
Evelyn smiled sadly.
“Because your father finally decided stolen property shouldn’t become another inheritance fight.”
Audrey stared at the signature.
Richard had signed it.
The previous night.
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
“He called me afterward.”
“What did he say?”
“That he was tired.”
Audrey’s phone rang.
Hospital.
She answered.
Her face changed.
May you like
Julian knew before she spoke.
Audrey whispered, “Dad’s gone.”
