Chapter 10 - THE MAN WHO BOUGHT OUR SILENCE
Victor Sloane had spent six years pretending to be our father's closest friend.
Now the evidence suggested he'd spent those same years manipulating our family.
Detective Morgan reviewed the flash drive with financial investigators.
The records showed suspicious transfers through several Cavanaugh-associated businesses.
Some appeared to conceal illegal payments.
Others were linked to falsified invoices and shell companies.
Victor controlled many of the accounts.
But the money wasn't the only problem.
Emails suggested he'd deliberately provided Julian with incomplete financial information.
He'd used the family's wealth and reputation to discourage questions.
And he'd built a plan that would let him control the trust if Dad became unable to manage it.
I stared at the documents.
“All this time, he was using us?”
Rebecca nodded carefully.
“The evidence supports serious concerns about his conduct.”
Theo sat beside me.
For once, he wasn't making jokes.
Adrian leaned against the wall, staring at the floor.
Finn held Eleanor's hand.
Julian looked toward us.
“I should have protected you.”
I shook my head.
“You should have been here.”
The words came out before I could stop them.
Dad nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Then Adrian spoke.
“You don't get to fix this by firing people and buying us presents.”
Julian looked up.
“I know.”
Theo folded his arms.
“And you don't get to pretend we're fine because the lawyers say everything is handled.”
Dad swallowed.
“I understand.”
Finn whispered, “Can we just eat dinner together?”
The room went still.
Our youngest brother looked toward Dad.
“Like Mom used to make us?”
Julian's eyes filled.
“Yes, buddy.”
Finn nodded.
“Okay.”
That evening, for the first time in years, the five of us sat at the kitchen table without business calls.
Eleanor made chicken pot pie.
Adrian complained there wasn't enough pepper.
Theo stole two biscuits.
I laughed.
And Finn talked about the model airplane he'd been building.
It wasn't perfect.
There were awkward silences.
Dad didn't know all our favorite foods.
Adrian kept checking his phone.
Theo made jokes whenever the conversation became emotional.
But we were together.
And for the first time, that felt like enough.
Then the doorbell rang.
A police officer stood outside.
Detective Morgan had news.
Victor Sloane had disappeared.
His office was empty.
His private jet was gone.
And several accounts linked to the Cavanaugh trust had been accessed that morning.
Julian looked furious.
“Where is he?”
“We're trying to locate him,” Morgan answered.
Then she turned toward Eleanor.
“Ms. Hargrove, there's something else.”
Eleanor looked up.
“What?”
“Victor left a sealed letter with his attorney.”
My stomach tightened.
“Addressed to whom?”
Morgan hesitated.
Then answered.
“You.”
Eleanor's face changed.
And when investigators provided the letter through the appropriate process, its opening sentence made her go completely still.
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YOUR FATHER DIDN'T DIE BECAUSE HE FOUND THE MONEY.
HE DIED BECAUSE HE DISCOVERED WHO REALLY OWNED IT.
