Chapter 13 - THE SHOT
The bullet missed Mara.
Not because Grant missed.
Because Mrs. Bell hit him with a silver serving tray.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Mara tackled him.
They crashed into a table.
Glass exploded.
Eli crawled toward Rebecca.
“Mom!”
Rebecca pulled him close.
Grant punched Mara’s injured shoulder.
Pain nearly blinded her.
He rolled on top of her.
“You destroyed everything!”
Mara slammed her palm into his nose.
“You did that yourself.”
He reached for the gun.
Mrs. Bell kicked it away.
Vivian slapped Mrs. Bell.
“You ungrateful woman!”
Mrs. Bell stared at her.
“My husband died yesterday.”
Vivian froze.
Mrs. Bell’s voice shook.
“So I don’t need your money anymore.”
Hale ran for the hallway.
Hayes stepped through the doorway.
“Don’t.”
Hale stopped.
Behind her came federal agents.
Grant looked around.
For the first time in his life, nobody moved when he wanted them to.
Vivian straightened.
“I’m calling our attorneys.”
Hayes cuffed her.
“Good. You’ll need several.”
Grant struggled.
Mara held him down.
“You can’t prove anything.”
Mara almost laughed.
“The basement. The trust records. Rebecca. Eli. The video.”
“Fabricated.”
“The transfers.”
“Business expenses.”
“The drugging.”
“Medical treatment.”
Even pinned to the floor, he kept lying.
Mara finally understood.
Grant didn’t lie because he expected people to believe him.
He lied because his whole life, belief had never mattered.
Money did.
Power did.
Fear did.
Truth was something other people had to prove.
Not him.
Until now.
Rebecca spoke from behind Mara.
“There’s more.”
Everyone turned.
Rebecca was holding Eli.
Her face was pale but steady.
“Grant didn’t just kidnap me.”
Grant stopped struggling.
Rebecca looked at Hayes.
“He killed Daniel.”
Mara frowned.
“Who’s Daniel?”
“My husband. Eli’s father.”
The room went silent.
Public records said Daniel Mercer died in a private plane crash.
Rebecca’s voice broke.
“He found out what Grant was doing with company pension money. Fake investments. Shell companies. Daniel was going to the SEC.”
Hayes stared at Grant.
“Can you prove that?”
Rebecca nodded.
“My husband kept copies.”
“Where?”
Rebecca looked at Vivian.
Vivian’s face went white.
“Rebecca,” she whispered.
Rebecca ignored her.
“My mother knows.”
Vivian shook her head.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“No.”
“You helped him.”
Vivian began crying.
Mara had never seen her cry.
Rebecca pointed toward the grand piano.
“Under the floor.”
Grant screamed.
“SHUT UP!”
Everyone froze.
Rebecca looked directly at him.
“No.”
Federal agents moved to the piano.
They lifted the rug beneath it.
A hidden compartment.
Inside were folders.
Hard drives.
Financial ledgers.
And one sealed envelope.
Hayes opened it.
Her expression hardened.
“What?” Mara asked.
Hayes looked at Grant.
“It’s a maintenance order for Daniel Mercer’s plane.”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
Hayes continued.
“Signed by Grant Callahan.”
Grant stopped fighting.
Then Eli whispered something.
“Mom?”
Rebecca hugged him.
“Yes, baby?”
Eli looked at Grant.
“I remember the fire.”
Grant’s eyes snapped toward him.
May you like
Eli’s voice trembled.
“You were there.”
