CHAPTER 10: THE BROTHER IN THE PHOTOGRAPH
Daniel crossed the room and seized Nathan by the front of his coat.
“Did you put her in my house?”
Nathan did not fight back.
“Let go of me.”
“You have five seconds.”
Marcus stepped between them.
“We need him conscious.”
Daniel released his brother with visible effort.
Nathan straightened his collar and looked at the photograph again.
“That meeting happened before Margaret began working here.”
“We know,” Elena replied. “That makes it worse.”
Nathan’s expression hardened.
“You think I hired her to harm Lily?”
“I think you were paying her,” Daniel said.
Nathan looked toward the ledger.
“Yes.”
Elena inhaled sharply.
Daniel moved forward again, but Marcus blocked him.
Nathan raised both hands.
“I paid her for information about you.”
“What information?”
“Business meetings. Board votes. Conversations with our father.”
Daniel stared at him.
Their relationship had never been warm. Nathan had spent most of his life competing with Daniel for their father’s approval.
But rivalry was not the same as what had happened to Lily.
“You placed a spy inside my home.”
“I was twenty-seven,” Nathan said. “I was angry, stupid and convinced Father intended to leave everything to you.”
“So you used Margaret.”
“For six months.”
“She stayed eleven years.”
“I stopped paying her after Father died.”
Daniel pointed to the ledger.
“Someone continued.”
Nathan’s confidence faltered.
He walked to the desk and examined several pages.
“I’ve never seen this.”
Lily appeared in the doorway behind Elena.
She had followed them despite being told to remain with a police officer.
Nathan turned toward her.
His face softened.
“Lily, you shouldn’t be in here, little princess.”
The room became silent.
Lily stopped breathing.
Margaret had used those exact words whenever she wanted to frighten her.
Spoiled little princess.
Nathan noticed the change in her face.
“What?”
Lily backed into her mother.
“You say it like she did.”
Nathan looked confused.
Elena placed herself between him and Lily.
“Don’t speak to her.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“How often did you meet with Margaret after she started working here?” Marcus asked.
Nathan’s gaze dropped.
“Twice.”
“You just said you ended contact.”
“I did.”
“When were the meetings?”
Nathan hesitated.
“The first was after Father’s funeral.”
“And the second?”
“Six months ago.”
Daniel’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“Why?”
Nathan walked toward the hidden room’s desk and sat down.
“Our father left a sealed amendment to the Whitmore family trust.”
Daniel knew about the trust. It controlled the voting shares in Whitmore Industries and several billion dollars in property.
“What amendment?”
“If you and Elena became unable to manage Lily’s inheritance, temporary control would pass to me.”
“Unable how?”
“Death. Criminal conviction. Mental incapacity.”
Elena understood first.
“Or if Lily were declared dangerous.”
Nathan nodded.
“The trust contains a morality clause. If the primary heir is found to have intentionally harmed someone in the household, control can be transferred.”
Daniel looked toward the stolen jewelry.
Margaret had intended to blame Lily for the theft.
The punishments were designed to terrify her into repeating whatever story Margaret demanded.
A broken vase.
Missing jewelry.
Perhaps eventually an injury or death.
Someone wanted Lily to appear unstable.
Someone wanted the Whitmore trust transferred.
Daniel stared at Nathan.
“You stood to gain everything.”
“I know.”
“Then give me one reason not to hand you to the police.”
Nathan reached inside his coat.
Marcus immediately drew his weapon.
Nathan slowly removed a small black phone.
“Because three days after Margaret was arrested, this was delivered to my office.”
He placed it on the table.
“The person behind this believes I’m still cooperating.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know.”
The phone began ringing.
No number appeared on the screen.
Marcus activated the speaker.
A distorted voice filled the room.
“Nathan.”
No one answered.
The voice continued.
“You were told to destroy the ledger.”
Nathan looked toward Daniel.
“I didn’t know about any ledger.”
“You have disappointed us for the last time.”
The call ended.
A message appeared on the screen.
PHASE TWO BEGINS AT NOON.
Daniel checked the clock.
It was 11:57 a.m.
Three minutes later, every phone in the room began vibrating.
A video had been released to the national press.
It showed Daniel kicking Margaret across the library.
The footage ended before viewers saw the strap in her hand.
Before they saw Lily kneeling on the floor.
Before they saw anything that explained what Daniel had done.
The headline beneath the video read:
May you like
BILLIONAIRE ATTACKS DEFENSELESS NANNY—CHILD’S ABUSE CLAIMS QUESTIONED.
Outside the mansion, the first news helicopter appeared above the trees.
