Chapter 8: What Gloria Hid
Ethan locked the door.
Then he checked it twice.
Sophia stood near the sofa, shaking.
“Thirty seconds,” she whispered.
Gloria looked at the dark monitor.
“He wants us to panic.””
Ethan turned.
“Then stop hiding things.””
Gloria said nothing.
“Mom.””
She slowly sat down.
“I didn't want you to know until I had proof.””
“Proof of what?””
“That your father was afraid.””
Ethan frowned.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
Gloria looked toward the family photographs.
“Your father wasn't afraid of dying.””
She paused.
“He was afraid of what would happen after he died.””
Ethan sat across from her.
“Tell me.””
Gloria folded her hands.
Three years earlier, after his father's funeral, she had found a letter hidden beneath the lining of an old briefcase.
She had never shown it to Ethan.
Not because she wanted to deceive him.
Because the letter contained one sentence she couldn't understand.
*If Marcus asks about the trust, give him nothing.*
Ethan stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Marcus was already asking questions.””
“About the trust?””
“Yes.””
“And you still let him handle the paperwork?””
Gloria's eyes dropped.
“I didn't know he was involved.””
Sophia spoke quietly.
“He was.””
Ethan looked at her.
“You knew that too?””
Sophia nodded.
“He contacted me first.””
“When?””
“Three months ago.””
“Why?””
“He said he had discovered a problem with the trust.””
“What problem?””
Sophia looked toward Gloria.
“That your father had placed conditions on the money.””
Ethan frowned.
“What conditions?””
Sophia hesitated.
“Your access could be challenged.””
“By whom?””
She didn't answer.
Ethan stood.
“Who could challenge it?””
Sophia's voice cracked.
“Your mother.””
The room went silent.
Ethan looked at Gloria.
“You?””
Gloria shook her head.
“No.””
Sophia continued.
“Marcus said Gloria had signed an authorization giving her control.””
“That authorization was temporary.””
“That isn't what he told me.””
Ethan turned to Gloria.
“Did you sign it?””
“Yes.””
“Did you ever use it?””
“No.””
“Did you ever transfer anything?””
“No.””
“Did you ever withdraw money?””
“No.””
Sophia whispered,
“Marcus said you did.””
Gloria's head snapped toward her.
“He lied.””
“Then why did he have records?””
“I don't know.””
Ethan rubbed his face.
“This is insane.””
Sophia walked closer.
“I can prove Marcus lied.””
Ethan looked at her.
“How?””
“I have something.””
She reached into her handbag.
Gloria immediately stood.
“What is that?””
Sophia pulled out her phone.
“A recording.””
Ethan stared.
“Of Marcus?””
“Yes.””
“Why didn't you show me before?””
“Because he told me if I did, he'd make sure Ethan never trusted me again.””
Ethan gave her a cold look.
“He succeeded.””
Sophia's eyes filled with tears.
“I know.””
She pressed play.
Marcus's voice came through the phone.
“You don't need to understand the paperwork, Sophia.””
A younger-sounding Sophia answered.
“Then why do you need my help?””
“Because Ethan trusts you.””
“He doesn't trust me enough to sign something for him.””
“You won't ask him to sign.””
“Then what am I doing?””
“You're giving me access to documents.””
A pause.
Sophia's recorded voice whispered,
“His signature?””
Marcus answered.
“Exactly.””
Ethan's face hardened.
Sophia stopped the recording.
“I gave him the files.””
Ethan looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because I believed him.””
“You believed a man who wanted my signature?””
“He said it was only to correct a clerical error.””
“And you believed that?””
“I wanted to.””
Ethan shook his head.
“You helped him.””
“I know.””
“And then you lied about my mother.””
“I know.””
“You staged the attack.””
Sophia's voice broke.
“I was trying to make you angry enough to destroy the authorization.””
Ethan stared.
“What?””
Marcus had told Sophia that if Ethan became angry at Gloria, Ethan would force her to surrender control of the trust.
“And then?”” Ethan asked.
Sophia swallowed.
“Then Marcus would take over.””
Gloria sat down slowly.
“He was using you.””
“Yes.””
“He was using all of us.””
Sophia nodded.
Ethan looked at the phone.
“Where is the rest of the recording?””
Sophia's eyes shifted.
“There isn't any.””
Ethan noticed.
“That's not true.””
She didn't answer.
“Where is it?””
Sophia looked at Gloria.
“I sent it somewhere.””
“Where?””
“To someone who could keep it safe.””
“Who?””
Sophia whispered,
“Your father's attorney.””
Gloria stood suddenly.
“Which attorney?””
Sophia gave her a name.
Gloria's face went pale.
“That firm closed six months ago.””
Ethan frowned.
“Then who has the recording?””
Sophia's phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed.
“What?””
Ethan stepped closer.
“Who is it?””
Sophia turned the phone around.
A message from an unknown number.
*YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE SENT THAT.*
Another message appeared.
*NOW THEY KNOW YOU WERE NEVER THE TARGET.*
Ethan stared.
“Then who was?””
Sophia looked at Gloria.
Gloria whispered,
“Me.””
A sharp crash came from the hallway.
Everyone froze.
Ethan grabbed the nearest lamp.
“What was that?””
No answer.
Then the wall-mounted security monitor came back on.
One camera feed appeared.
The hallway was empty.
A second feed appeared.
The living room.
A third.
The front porch.
Marcus was gone.
Ethan stepped closer.
“Where did he go?””
The fourth feed appeared.
It showed the cabinet behind them.
The exact cabinet where Gloria had kept the metal box.
Its door was open.
Gloria turned slowly.
The brass key was still in her hand.
But the metal box was gone.
May you like
And on the monitor, beneath the cabinet, someone had left a handwritten note.
*YOU SHOULD HAVE OPENED THE BOX SOONER.*
