Chapter 6 - THE DEAL
I couldn't speak.
“My mother's freedom?”
Vincent nodded.
“She was being held.”
“By whom?”
“Blackridge.”
I stared at him.
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“Then where did the money go?”
“I paid someone who claimed they could get her out.”
“Who?”
Vincent hesitated.
“Your mother.”
I froze.
“What?”
“She arranged the transaction.”
My father stood.
“You're lying.”
Vincent looked at him.
“She contacted me directly.”
Dad shook his head.
“She would never trust you.”
“She didn't.”
Vincent pulled out his phone.
He showed us a photograph.
My mother.
Standing beside him.
Alive.
Recent.
My knees nearly gave out.
“Where is she?”
“She disappeared after the payment.”
“Then the money…”
“Was stolen.”
My father stared at the screen.
“Who took it?”
Vincent looked at him.
“Your old partner.”
Dad's face turned white.
“My partner died twenty years ago.”
“No.”
Vincent shook his head.
“He didn't.”
The room went silent.
“His name is Arthur Bell.”
Dad sat down.
I had never seen him look afraid before.
“That's impossible.”
Vincent continued.
“Arthur built Blackridge.”
My father's voice dropped.
“I thought he was dead.”
“He changed his identity.”
“Why?”
“To control the debt network.”
I looked at Vincent.
“And you?”
“I was investigating him.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
Vincent swallowed.
“Because your mother asked me.”
I couldn't believe him.
“You expect me to trust you?”
“No.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I expect you to hate me.”
“Why?”
“Because I did something terrible.”
He opened another file.
A power-of-attorney document.
The one my father had signed.
“I forged part of this.”
Dad stared.
“You forged my signature?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make it look like you voluntarily transferred control.”
I stepped back.
“So you did steal from him.”
Vincent shook his head.
“I stole the appearance of the money.”
“What does that mean?”
“The $4.5 million never left your father's control.”
I stared.
“What?”
Vincent looked at me.
“It was moved into a protected account.”
“Whose?”
May you like
“Yours.”
My heart stopped.
