Chapter 9: The Woman Who Raised Me
The footsteps stopped beneath the archive floor.
Richard lowered his gun slightly.
For the first time since I had met him, he looked uncertain.
I stared at the woman I had called Mother.
She was crying silently.
Anna stood beside her, frozen.
“My father said you aren't my mother.””
She closed her eyes.
“I know.””
“Then who are you?””
She looked at me.
“My name is Margaret Mercer.””
The room seemed to tilt.
I almost laughed.
“Margaret?””
She nodded.
“Margaret Vale.””
The same name written in my father's final note.
The same woman who had been holding a gun at me minutes earlier.
The same woman who had raised Anna.
“You're Margaret.””
“Yes.””
I looked at Anna.
“You knew?””
She shook her head.
“No. Not until tonight.””
Richard gave a bitter laugh.
“Thomas always was dramatic.””
I turned toward him.
“Shut up.””
He smiled.
“There is your father's temper.””
I stepped closer.
“Tell me the truth.””
Richard glanced at Margaret.
“She isn't your mother.””
“I know that.””
“No.””
He shook his head.
“You don't know what she is.””
Margaret's face tightened.
“Richard, don't.””
“You spent twenty-seven years pretending to be a grieving mother.””
“I was protecting them.””
“You stole another woman's children.””
Margaret flinched.
Anna whispered, “Stop.””
Richard's eyes moved between us.
“Would you like to know whose children you actually are?””
I stared at him.
“My father was Thomas Mercer.””
Richard nodded.
“And your biological mother was Elizabeth.””
The name struck me like a memory I couldn't quite reach.
“Elizabeth who?””
“Elizabeth Hawthorne.””
Silence.
I looked toward the metal shelves.
Then at Richard.
Then at Margaret.
“No.””
Richard smiled.
“Yes.””
“That's impossible.””
“Nothing in this house is impossible.””
Margaret stepped forward.
“Elias, listen to me.””
“Was my mother Alexander's sister?””
She nodded.
My stomach turned.
“Then Anna…”
“Your half-sister,” Richard said.
Anna stared at him.
“Half?””
Richard nodded.
“You and Elias share Thomas as a father.””
I looked at Anna.
She looked just as stunned.
“Then Elizabeth…”
“She died the night you were born,” Margaret said.
I stared at her.
“You said twenty-seven years ago.””
“Yes.””
“Dad said she was alive during the warehouse fire.””
Margaret's eyes filled with tears.
“She was.””
“Then what happened?””
Richard answered.
“She knew too much.””
I clenched my fists.
“What did she know?””
“The truth about the Hawthorne fortune.””
Richard walked toward the shelves.
“And she had proof.””
Margaret whispered, “Richard was one of the men sent to retrieve it.””
“And you stopped them,” I said.
She nodded.
“I got Elizabeth's children out.””
“Why?””
“Because she begged me.””
“For what?””
Margaret's voice broke.
“She knew she was dying. She told me that if I couldn't save her, I had to save you.””
I felt something crack inside my chest.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because there were people watching.””
“You let me hate her.””
“No.””
“You let me think she abandoned me.””
“I let you survive.””
I shook my head.
“Those aren't the same thing.””
Margaret looked down.
“I know.””
A loud metallic bang came from beneath us.
Richard spun toward the floor.
“What was that?””
Another bang.
Then the floor vent rattled.
Someone was coming through.
Margaret grabbed my arm.
“We have to leave.””
Richard raised his gun.
“Nobody is leaving.””
Daniel's voice suddenly came from the tunnel.
“Then you'll have to shoot all of us.””
Richard turned.
Daniel emerged from the narrow passage, bruised and bleeding near his temple.
Alexander followed him.
The billionaire looked nothing like the controlled man from the reception.
His suit was torn.
There was blood on his collar.
But his eyes were clear.
And furious.
“Drop the gun, Richard.””
Richard laughed.
“You came all this way for a gardener?””
Alexander looked at me.
“No.””
Then his eyes moved to the drive in my hand.
“I came for my family.””
Richard's expression changed.
“Your family?””
Alexander shook his head.
“I spent half my life believing Thomas betrayed me.””
Thomas's voice suddenly echoed from the phone still in my hand.
“He never did.””
Alexander froze.
The call had not fully disconnected.
My father's voice continued.
“Alexander, listen to me.””
Alexander stared at the phone.
“Thomas.””
“You need to know what happened that night.””
Richard moved toward the device.
Daniel blocked him.
“Don't.””
Thomas continued.
“The ledger doesn't contain the entire story.””
“What does it contain?”” Alexander asked.
“Payments.””
“To whom?””
“A name you know.””
Alexander's face hardened.
“Who?””
Thomas said,
“Your father.””
The room fell silent.
Alexander stepped backward.
“My father is dead.””
“So was I.””
Alexander stared at the phone.
Thomas continued.
“Your father built the network. I discovered it. Elizabeth discovered it. She tried to expose him.””
Alexander's voice became hoarse.
“You're saying my father was behind the accounts?””
“He was the architect.””
Richard suddenly laughed.
“You still don't understand.””
Everyone looked at him.
Richard lowered the gun slightly.
“The old man was only the beginning.””
Alexander turned.
“What does that mean?””
Richard smiled.
“The accounts continued after his death.””
“Who controlled them?””
Richard looked at Margaret.
Then at me.
“Someone in this room.””
My mother—Margaret—went pale.
“I told you I didn't.””
Richard's smile widened.
“You're still lying.””
Alexander looked at her.
“Margaret?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
Richard pointed at her.
“She had access to everything.””
“I never touched the money.””
“You didn't have to.””
His eyes shifted toward me.
“You delivered it.””
I frowned.
“What?””
Richard laughed.
“Think about your life, Elias.””
I stared at him.
“What are you talking about?””
“You've spent years moving between estates, working gardens, doing odd jobs, never staying anywhere too long.””
My skin prickled.
“That isn't evidence.””
“No.””
Richard pulled a folded document from his jacket.
“This is.””
He threw it at my feet.
I picked it up.
It was a bank statement.
My name appeared at the top.
Elias Mercer.
But beneath it was an account balance.
$14.8 million.
I stared at the number.
“That isn't mine.””
Richard smiled.
“Look at the date.””
Twenty-three years earlier.
Before I was even old enough to have a bank account.
Alexander stepped closer.
“What is this?””
Richard answered,
“A trust.””
“For whom?””
Richard looked at me.
“For the last surviving Mercer.””
My head spun.
Margaret whispered,
“Elizabeth created it.””
“She couldn't have,” I said.
“She did,” Richard replied.
“She moved the money before they came for her.””
“For me?””
“For you and Anna.””
I looked at Anna.
She was crying.
Richard continued.
“The account has been growing for twenty-seven years.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“So why kill him?””
Richard's eyes hardened.
“Because the trust becomes accessible tomorrow.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Richard smiled.
“Your twenty-eighth birthday.””
I couldn't speak.
My birthday was tomorrow.
The realization moved through the room like ice.
Everything had been timed.
The poison.
The will.
The attack.
The meeting.
Richard wasn't trying to kill Alexander for his fortune.
He was trying to control mine.
Alexander seemed to realize it too.
He turned toward Richard.
“You wanted Elias dead before the trust unlocked.””
Richard nodded.
“Exactly.””
“And Vivian?””
Richard glanced at her.
“She was useful.””
The doors behind us suddenly opened.
Vivian stepped into the archive.
Her face was streaked with tears.
But there was no fear in her eyes now.
Only fury.
“You used me.””
Richard sighed.
“You were desperate.””
“You told me Alexander would leave me nothing.””
“He wouldn't.””
“You told me the only way to secure my future was to make sure he died before signing the new will.””
“I told you what you needed to hear.””
Vivian stared at him.
“You said you loved me.””
Richard's expression remained blank.
“I loved what you could access.””
Vivian looked at Alexander.
“I am sorry.””
Alexander said nothing.
Richard raised his gun again.
“Enough.””
Daniel moved.
A shot exploded.
The bullet struck the wall.
Security rushed into the archive.
Richard fired again.
Alexander tackled me to the ground.
The gunshots echoed through the stone room.
Margaret pulled Anna behind the shelves.
Daniel charged Richard.
They crashed into the archive table.
Richard's gun skidded across the floor.
I crawled toward it.
Richard saw me.
“No!””
He broke free from Daniel and lunged.
I reached the weapon first.
I grabbed it.
Richard stopped.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
I aimed it at him.
My hands shook.
“Don't move.””
He stared at me.
“You won't pull the trigger.””
I looked at my father's photograph in the metal box.
At Anna.
At Margaret.
At Alexander.
At all the years stolen from us.
“You're right.””
I lowered the gun.
Richard smiled.
Then I threw it to Daniel.
He caught it.
Security surrounded Richard.
He was finally trapped.
But before they dragged him away, he looked at me and said,
“You think you've won.””
I stared back.
“What else is there?””
Richard smiled.
“The person who funded all of this is still alive.””
I felt cold.
“Who?””
Richard's eyes moved toward Alexander.
“No.””
He shook his head.
“Not him.””
Then he looked at Anna.
Her face went white.
Richard said,
“She already knows.””
Everyone turned toward my sister.
Anna stepped backward.
“No.””
I stared at her.
“Anna?””
She was crying.
“I didn't know it would come to this.””
“What do you mean?””
She covered her mouth.
Then whispered,
“The person behind all of it…”
Her voice broke.
“…is someone I've been living with for the last ten years.””
Margaret froze.
Alexander frowned.
Daniel stared at her.
May you like
And Anna slowly turned toward Margaret.
“You.””
