Chapter 4 - MARCUS HAD A MOTIVE—AND AN ALIBIEveryone looked at Marcus.
Fairly.
He was Dominic’s younger brother.
Thirty-eight.
Charming.
Careless with money.
Recently removed from an executive role after unauthorized borrowing against personal shares.
And there was the trust.
Their late father had created the Vale Descendant Continuity Trust.
If Dominic died, or if his descendant branch became extinct before Ethan reached adulthood, certain voting powers temporarily returned to the broader Vale family council.
Marcus chaired that council.
But Ethan’s death alone would not make Marcus rich.
Dominic was alive.
Ava was alive.
The trust contained alternate structures.
No immediate fortune.
Still, Marcus might gain future influence.
Suspicious.
Except at the exact time the cake was tampered with, Marcus was standing on the front lawn during a livestreamed conversation with three donors.
Twenty-three minutes.
Continuous video.
No time to access the kitchen.
Could he hire someone?
Possible.
Then investigators checked finances.
No suspicious payments.
No contact with the disposable phone.
Nothing.
Marcus looked at Dominic.
“You thought it was me.”
Dominic answered honestly.
“For a moment.”
Marcus nodded.
“I would’ve thought it too.”
Good.
No fake outrage.
Then he said:
“But someone wants you to think this is about inheritance.”
That sentence mattered.
May you like
Because perhaps the trust motive was camouflage.
What if the target was Ethan for another reason?
