Chapter 9 - THE LETTER FROM MY DEAD MOTHER
My mother had been dead for four years.
And Corinne was telling me she'd warned her about Tessa.
At first, I assumed there had been a misunderstanding.
Then I remembered something.
Before my mother died, she'd established a private family trust.
Corinne had helped organize the documents.
I'd barely paid attention.
My mother had always liked Corinne.
Sometimes I thought she trusted my wife more than she trusted me.
Now I understood why.
I called Corinne.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she sent a photograph.
An old handwritten letter.
My mother's handwriting.
Addressed to Corinne.
My dear girl,
If Grant ever begins confusing admiration with love, remember that you are not responsible for teaching him the value of loyalty.
I stared.
The letter continued.
There are people who see our family's wealth as an opportunity.
Victor Hale is one of them.
His associates have tried to gain access to our private accounts for years.
And there is a young woman named Tessa Vaughn who has been appearing at events connected to Victor.
My chest tightened.
Tessa.
My mother had known about her before I did.
The letter was dated eighteen months earlier.
Six months before my affair began.
My mother continued.
I don't know what Victor intends, but I don't trust him.
If he ever introduces Tessa to Grant, be careful.
I felt sick.
My mother had seen the danger.
Corinne had seen it.
And I had ignored them both.
Then I noticed another paragraph.
I've placed certain assets into a protected trust for my future grandchildren.
Those assets cannot be transferred through ordinary business agreements.
Victor doesn't know the full structure.
I frowned.
My future grandchildren?
The trust had been created before Owen was born.
I called Rebecca.
"Tell me about my mother's trust."
She hesitated.
"Grant, it's complicated."
"Explain."
"Your mother transferred a substantial portion of her separate property into a trust intended to benefit your children."
"How much?"
Rebecca took a breath.
"Approximately sixty million dollars."
I stopped breathing.
"And Owen is the beneficiary?"
"Yes. Subject to the trust's terms."
I stared at the wall.
"Does Victor know?"
"He appears to have discovered part of it."
Suddenly, everything made terrible sense.
The fraudulent guardianship documents.
Tessa's prepared nursery.
The plan to remove Corinne.
Owen wasn't simply an obstacle to Victor's financial scheme.
He was connected to assets Victor couldn't easily control.
Rebecca continued.
"Someone may have believed that obtaining control over Owen's affairs would give them access to the trust."
My stomach turned.
"They wanted my son for money."
"We're investigating that possibility."
I closed my eyes.
For months, I'd thought my affair was the biggest betrayal in our marriage.
Now I understood that my selfishness had helped dangerous people get close to my family.
That evening, Corinne sent another message.
Grant, there's one more thing.
I sat forward.
Your mother didn't die believing you were a bad man.
My eyes filled.
She died hoping you'd become a better one.
May you like
Then a final message appeared.
SHE LEFT YOU A LETTER TOO. BUT SHE ASKED ME NOT TO GIVE IT TO YOU UNTIL YOU FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT YOURSELF.
