Chapter 10: The Voice That Should Have Been Silent
The office door opened slowly.
Nobody moved.
Richard stood beside my desk, his face drained of color. Michael had stopped breathing heavily. Daniel stared at the telephone as though the voice coming through it had reached out and touched him.
Then a woman stepped into the room.
She wore a dark green coat and carried a small leather suitcase.
Her hair was shorter than I remembered from the photographs. There were silver strands near her temples, and her face had become thinner.
But her eyes were unmistakable.
My mother's eyes.
I gripped the edge of the desk.
“No.””
She looked directly at me.
“Hello, sweetheart.””
I shook my head.
“No. You're not real.””
She set down her suitcase.
“Eleanor, I know this is difficult.””
I laughed, but the sound came out broken.
“You're dead.””
Her expression crumpled.
“I know what you were told.””
I stepped backward.
“You were buried.””
“I wasn't.””
“I saw your funeral.””
She lowered her head.
“I'm sorry.””
I looked at Daniel.
He was staring at her with an expression I had never seen before.
Fear.
Not surprise.
Fear.
“Daniel,” I whispered.
“Did you know?””
He didn't answer.
My mother looked toward him.
“Of course he knew.””
Michael suddenly laughed.
“So this is it. The whole family reunion.””
He moved toward her.
“You should have stayed away.””
My mother looked at him.
For the first time, I saw something other than sadness in her face.
Disappointment.
“Michael, you have done enough damage.””
His jaw tightened.
“You don't get to lecture me.””
“I gave you everything I could.””
“You gave me lies.””
“I tried to protect you.””
“From what? The truth?””
She looked at him.
“From yourself.””
Michael slammed his fist against the desk.
“You always chose Eleanor!””
My mother closed her eyes.
“No, Michael. I tried to save both of you.””
I stood between them.
“Stop.””
They turned toward me.
I looked at my mother.
“Tell me what happened.””
She nodded slowly.
“Fourteen years ago, Michael pushed me during an argument. I fell and hit my head. Daniel arrived shortly afterward.””
I turned toward Daniel.
He lowered his eyes.
“Your father was already there,” my mother continued.
“He wanted to call an ambulance, but Daniel convinced him that the situation could be handled privately.””
“Was Michael responsible for your death?””
“No.””
I stared at her.
“But he pushed you.””
“Yes.””
“And you survived?””
She nodded.
“I was unconscious. When I woke up, I was in a private clinic outside Geneva.””
I looked at Daniel.
“Who took her there?””
“Your father arranged it,” he said quietly.
My mother shook her head.
“Your father believed I was dead. Daniel knew otherwise.””
I felt something tighten in my chest.
“Why did nobody tell me?””
My mother approached me.
“Because Michael was threatening everyone. He believed I had the original ownership certificate. He wanted to find it before I could transfer it to you.””
“So you disappeared?””
“I was afraid he would come after you.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You left me alone with him.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I know.””
“You let me believe you were dead.””
“I thought it was the only way.””
I turned away.
I couldn't absorb another explanation built around protection.
My mother sat in the chair opposite me.
“There's something else.””
I looked at her.
“The recording you heard was made six years ago. I knew someone had discovered the original trust agreement, and I needed to make sure the truth could eventually reach you.””
“Who recorded it?””
“Your father.””
I glanced toward the door.
“Where is he?””
Richard answered.
“He's downstairs.””
My mother looked at him.
“Bring him up.””
Richard hesitated.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
He left.
I turned back to my mother.
“What about the certificate?””
She looked at the document on my desk.
“That is a forgery.””
“I know.””
“Daniel created it.””
I stared at him.
Daniel finally spoke.
“I didn't create it alone.””
My mother looked at him.
“Tell her.””
He swallowed.
“Your mother transferred the shares into a protective trust before she disappeared. The beneficiary was supposed to be Eleanor.””
“Then why does the certificate name you?””
“Because I changed the ownership structure six years ago.””
“Why?””
“Because Michael approached me. He wanted access to the trust. He threatened to expose what happened the night your mother was injured.””
Michael laughed.
“Don't pretend you were helpless.””
Daniel ignored him.
“I created a holding company to keep him from accessing the shares.””
My mother shook her head.
“You also transferred the controlling interest to yourself.””
Daniel looked down.
“Yes.””
I stared at him.
“So you stole the company.””
“I intended to return it.””
“When?””
He didn't answer.
My mother leaned forward.
“Eleanor, Daniel has been waiting for the right moment to take control of everything. He wanted you to become the public face of the business while he controlled the assets behind the scenes.””
I looked at the man who had helped me build E.H. Capital.
“You used me.””
Daniel's voice broke.
“I loved you.””
The words landed like a slap.
I stared at him.
“You don't get to call it love when you use someone without their knowledge.””
He looked as though he wanted to reach for me.
I stepped away.
The door opened again.
Richard returned with my father.
The moment my parents saw each other, the room became unbearably quiet.
My father looked at my mother.
“Margaret.””
She stood.
“Edward.””
He took one step toward her.
“I thought you were dead.””
She shook her head.
“You helped everyone believe I was.””
He lowered his eyes.
“I was trying to protect the family.””
My mother laughed sadly.
“You always protected the family business. You never protected the family.””
Michael suddenly grabbed the forged certificate.
“Enough!””
He backed toward the door.
“I have what I need.””
Richard stepped in front of him.
“You're not leaving.””
Michael pulled a small pistol from his jacket.
Everyone froze.
“Move.””
I stared at the weapon.
My mother whispered my name.
Michael looked directly at Daniel.
“You promised me the trust.””
Daniel raised his hands.
“I can explain.””
“No. You've had fourteen years to explain.””
He turned toward my father.
“You chose her.””
Then he looked at me.
“And you got everything.””
His finger tightened around the trigger.
I heard my mother scream.
But before he could fire, the office lights flickered.
A sharp crack came from the corridor.
Michael's gun fell to the floor.
He collapsed against the wall.
And a uniformed police officer stepped into the room.
“Michael Hayes, you're under arrest.””
I stared at the officer.
“Who called you?””
He looked toward Richard.
“Mr. Whitmore contacted us twenty minutes ago.””
Richard nodded.
“I sent them the financial records and the recordings.””
Michael was handcuffed.
As the officers escorted him out, he turned toward me.
“You still don't know what happened to your mother.””
I looked at him.
“I just heard her.””
He smiled bitterly.
“Then ask her why she never told you who your real father was.””
The door closed.
I slowly turned toward my mother.
She was crying.
Daniel had lowered himself into a chair.
My father looked as though he might collapse.
And my mother whispered the words I had been dreading.
“Eleanor, there's one final truth.””
May you like
She looked at Daniel.
“Daniel isn't your biological father.””
