Chapter 12 - THOMAS BENNETT
Nathan stared at Grace.
“You knew?”
Grace shook her head.
“No.”
Victoria kept laughing as officers dragged her upstairs.
“She knows the name!”
Nathan turned back to Grace.
“Grace.”
“I knew Thomas Bennett existed.”
“How?”
“Your father mentioned him.”
“When?”
“The night before he died.”
Nathan’s jaw clenched.
“What exactly did he say?”
Grace closed her eyes.
“He told me that if everything collapsed, I should find Thomas Bennett.”
Nathan stared.
“You never thought that mattered?”
“I thought Thomas was an attorney.”
Daniel entered behind them.
“He wasn’t.”
Nathan looked at him.
Daniel held up his phone.
“I searched sealed corporate records.”
“What did you find?”
“Thomas Bennett changed his name.”
Nathan’s heart pounded.
“To what?”
“Thomas Bailey.”
Grace froze.
Nathan didn’t recognize it.
Daniel continued.
“He’s alive.”
“Where?”
“Michigan.”
Nathan sat.
For the first time in his life, fear felt heavier than anger.
The next morning, Nathan drove north.
Grace came with him.
They found Thomas Bailey living in a small cabin near Lake Michigan.
Nathan knocked.
An old man opened the door.
White hair.
Weathered face.
Dark brown eyes.
Nathan stopped breathing.
The resemblance wasn’t dramatic.
It didn’t need to be.
It was there.
Thomas stared at him.
Then at Grace.
His face collapsed.
“Charles is dead.”
Nathan’s voice was cold.
“Two years.”
Thomas nodded.
“I know.”
“You knew who I was?”
“Yes.”
Nathan swallowed.
“Are you my father?”
Thomas looked at him for a long time.
“Yes.”
Nathan laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because he had no other reaction left.
“You disappeared.”
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“I was forced out.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
Same story.
Different generation.
Thomas invited them inside.
He made coffee with shaking hands.
Nathan didn’t touch it.
“Tell me.”
Thomas sat.
“Your mother and I were together before she married Charles.”
“My mother loved you?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Charles bought the patent I created.”
Nathan frowned.
“Bought?”
Thomas smiled sadly.
“At first.”
Then his face hardened.
“When the product succeeded, he changed the ownership documents.”
“I threatened to sue.”
“Richard Sterling stepped in.”
Grace listened.
Thomas continued.
“They offered me money.”
“I refused.”
“They threatened my parents.”
“I still refused.”
Then he looked at Nathan.
“Then your mother told me she was pregnant.”
Nathan stared.
“Charles offered a deal.”
“What deal?”
“I disappear.”
Thomas’s eyes filled.
“In exchange, he would raise you as his own and never tell you the truth.”
Nathan felt sick.
“You agreed?”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
Nathan stood.
“You abandoned me.”
“Yes.”
Thomas didn’t defend himself.
That made Nathan angrier.
“You had thirty-three years.”
“I know.”
“You could have contacted me.”
“I know.”
“You watched me build a company with your stolen invention.”
Thomas lowered his eyes.
“Yes.”
Nathan walked toward the door.
Grace followed.
Thomas spoke behind him.
“Charles tried to fix it.”
Nathan stopped.
Thomas stood.
“He contacted me before he died.”
Nathan slowly turned.
“He wanted to restore my ownership.”
“Why?”
“Because he was dying.”
“He wasn’t dying.”
Thomas frowned.
Nathan continued.
“He was murdered.”
Thomas went pale.
“What?”
“Richard tampered with his medication.”
Thomas sat down hard.
Grace watched him.
Thomas whispered, “Then Charles was right.”
“About what?”
Thomas looked at Nathan.
“He said if Richard realized the original patent still existed, he would kill to destroy it.”
Nathan froze.
“Original?”
Thomas nodded.
“I have it.”
Nathan stared.
Thomas walked to a floorboard.
He lifted it.
Inside was a sealed metal case.
Nathan crouched.
Thomas opened it.
Patent documents.
Letters.
Original ownership contracts.
And a photograph.
Charles Cole.
Thomas Bennett.
Richard Sterling.
All three smiling.
Thomas handed Nathan one final document.
Nathan read the title.
DISSOLUTION AND RESTITUTION AGREEMENT.
Signed by Charles Cole.
Dated the day before his death.
Nathan looked up.
“This returns half of Cole Holdings to you.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
Nathan frowned.
Thomas pointed at the next page.
Nathan read it.
Beneficiary: Nathan Bennett Cole.
Nathan’s hands started shaking.
May you like
Thomas whispered.
“Charles left the company to the son he stole from me.”
