Chapter 12 - THE WOMAN WHO RAISED THOMAS
Isabelle was alive.
Unlike Evelyn, her death had never been formally recorded.
She simply disappeared from the Steves family after divorcing Anthony.
Moved to Connecticut.
Changed surname.
Thomas told everyone she died because admitting his mother left embarrassed Anthony.
Family mythology became fact.
Roman brought Thomas to her because Isabelle possessed something.
Anthony’s confession.
Not criminal confession exactly.
A recorded argument.
Years ago.
Anthony admitted ordering Joseph’s car sabotaged.
And Thomas admitted going to the hospital afterward.
Not to kill Joseph.
To find the records.
Important.
Then:
Thomas discovered Joseph alive.
Joseph begged him to take a message to Margaret.
Thomas did not.
He searched the room.
Found nothing.
Left.
Seven minutes later Joseph coded.
Thomas had spent twenty years wondering whether his presence somehow caused the death.
But he did not administer medication.
The hospital issue remained separate.
Sarah’s investigation found the sedative dose had been a genuine medical error.
Tragic.
Not murder.
The correction request afterward came because Anthony’s lawyer feared any review would expose Thomas’s unauthorized visit.
Ugly.
Cowardly.
But not homicide.
Truth became less cinematic.
More believable.
Anthony caused the crash.
The crash caused catastrophic injuries.
Joseph died from complications worsened by a medical dosing mistake.
Thomas did not kill him.
He did something else.
He stole Joseph’s wallet.
Inside was the bank-box reference.
That was how he knew.
But the key was gone.
Joseph had already hidden it at home.
Thomas spent years searching.
When he found me working for Larkin, he realized I might have it.
There.
Entire obsession explained.
Then Isabelle convinced Thomas to surrender.
Not because he became noble.
Because federal and state investigations had already closed around Solstice, WDS, fraud, kidnapping-related conduct involving Evelyn, and financial crimes.
Running made everything worse.
He surrendered through counsel.
Larkin wanted to see him.
I asked:
“Why?”
“To understand.”
That surprised me.
Not kill.
Not punish.
Understand.
They met with lawyers present.
I did not attend.
Afterward Larkin told me Thomas said one thing:
“You were always the son they planned around. I was the son they used.”
That hurt him.
Families create monsters in complicated ways.
Not excuses.
Context.
Thomas faced consequences.
Anthony was dead.
Stephen dead.
Joseph dead.
The surviving generation was left cleaning what the previous one designed.
Then Solstice ownership proceedings concluded.
My supposed twenty-one percent was declared fraudulently assigned.
I could walk away.
Clean.
Except the veto share was different.
My father had legitimately created it for Margaret.
Now mine.
Value not monetary.
Power.
I had a choice.
Keep it.
Sell it.
Destroy it through restructuring.
I chose the third.
Solstice Holdings entered independent wind-down and compliance review.
Legitimate assets separated.
Contaminated funds frozen or handled through lawful processes.
I received nothing from the dirty structures.
People thought I was insane.
Twelve million dollars theoretical value.
Gone.
But it had never been mine.
Then Larkin offered to pay my student loans.
I laughed in his face.
He actually looked offended.
“Why is that funny?”
“Because you still think money fixes uncomfortable things.”
“I was trying to help.”
“I know.”
“That’s bad?”
“No.”
I smiled.
“But I want to pay them.”
His expression softened.
“Fine.”
Then:
“I can improve your salary.”
“You already pay me obscenely well.”
“You’re not my secretary anymore.”
I stared.
“What?”
“Chief financial controls officer.”
I laughed.
“That sounds invented.”
“It is.”
“Salary?”
He told me.
I stopped laughing.
Then said:
“I’ll think about it.”
For once, Larkin had offered me power openly instead of controlling me secretly.
That mattered.
May you like
But I still had another decision to make.
Whether I wanted to stay anywhere near him at all.
