Chapter 3 - THE LAWYER WHO TRIED TO ESCAPE
“Get him!”
Lucy shouted before Martin could react.
Security chased attorney Harold Quinn through the side corridor.
Harold had served Hale Meridian for twenty-two years.
He was sixty-three.
Slow.
Overweight.
And terrified enough to move faster than anyone expected.
He slammed through the kitchen doors.
Chefs shouted as he knocked trays from counters.
Lucy ran after security.
Martin followed.
Scarlett yelled,
“Dad!”
Martin did not stop.
Harold reached the service elevator.
The doors opened.
He jumped inside.
Lucy threw her arm between them.
The doors bounced apart.
Harold stared at her.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Lucy stepped inside.
“Then explain it.”
Martin arrived seconds later.
Harold looked at him.
“Martin, please.”
“Why are you running?”
Harold’s breathing was heavy.
Victor appeared at the end of the corridor with security behind him.
Harold saw him.
His face went white.
Victor shouted,
“Don’t say anything!”
Martin slowly turned toward Victor.
That was enough.
Harold broke.
“He made me do it.”
Victor yelled,
“You idiot!”
Martin shoved the elevator doors open.
“Do what?”
Harold looked toward Lucy.
“Your mother’s ownership transfer.”
Lucy felt her stomach twist.
“You forged it?”
Harold nodded.
“I prepared the paperwork.”
Martin looked sick.
“Why?”
“Victor said Rebecca had abandoned the company.”
“She was pregnant!”
“I didn’t know that then.”
Victor laughed coldly.
“You knew exactly what you were paid to know.”
Martin turned on him.
“How much?”
Harold whispered,
“Two hundred thousand.”
Lucy stared at him.
“You stole my mother’s company for two hundred thousand dollars?”
“I was thirty-nine. I had debts.”
“So you erased her?”
“I didn’t understand what would happen.”
Lucy stepped closer.
“My mother worked two jobs while raising me.”
Harold lowered his head.
“She cleaned motel rooms.”
His face tightened.
“She skipped meals so I could eat.”
“Lucy…”
“She died in an apartment where the heat stopped working twice that winter.”
Harold’s eyes filled.
“And you helped steal billions from her.”
Scarlett had reached the corridor.
She stared at Lucy.
For the first time, some of her arrogance disappeared.
Harold said,
“I’m sorry.”
Lucy’s voice broke.
“Sorry doesn’t give her eighteen years back.”
Martin looked devastated.
But Lucy turned on him too.
“And don’t stand there looking innocent.”
Martin flinched.
“You never searched for her.”
“I did.”
“For how long?”
Martin did not answer.
“A month?”
Silence.
“Two?”
Martin whispered,
“Almost a year.”
“And then?”
“I was told she had moved overseas.”
“By who?”
Martin slowly looked at Victor.
Victor smiled.
“There it is.”
Martin took a step toward him.
“You told me she went to Europe.”
“She wanted you to move on.”
“You told me she married another man.”
Victor shrugged.
“You believed it.”
Martin punched him.
The blow dropped Victor against the wall.
Scarlett screamed.
Security rushed forward.
Martin grabbed Victor’s shirt.
“You took her from me.”
Victor wiped blood from his mouth.
“No.”
He smiled.
“I gave you everything you wanted.”
“I wanted Rebecca!”
“No. You wanted success.”
Martin froze.
Victor leaned closer.
“You remember those days. Investors were ready to leave. Rebecca was pregnant. Your prototype was unfinished. You were panicking.”
Martin’s face tightened.
Victor continued.
“I removed the problem.”
Lucy whispered,
“My mother wasn’t a problem.”
Victor looked at her.
“To Martin’s investors, she was.”
Scarlett suddenly said,
“You’re disgusting.”
Everyone looked at her.
Victor laughed.
“You benefited more than anyone.”
Scarlett recoiled.
“What?”
“That private school.”
“Shut up.”
“The houses.”
“I said shut up.”
“The yachts.”
Scarlett’s face cracked.
“All purchased with money that came from Rebecca’s work.”
Scarlett slapped Victor.
Hard.
The corridor went silent.
Victor slowly smiled.
“Like father, like daughter.”
Scarlett’s face collapsed.
Lucy stared at her.
For one second, neither woman knew what to say.
Then Harold interrupted.
“There’s something else.”
Martin turned.
“What?”
Harold looked terrified again.
“The ownership documents weren’t the only thing Victor changed.”
“What else?”
Harold stared at Scarlett.
“He changed a birth certificate.”
Scarlett blinked.
“My birth certificate?”
Victor’s expression went flat.
Martin looked between them.
“What are you talking about?”
Harold whispered,
“Scarlett isn’t your first daughter.”
Martin frowned.
“We know that. Lucy is older.”
Harold shook his head.
“No.”
He looked at Lucy.
“Lucy isn’t the only child whose identity Victor altered.”
May you like
Scarlett stopped breathing.
And Victor suddenly reached for the gun hidden under his jacket.
