Chapter 10: The Turncoat
Chapter 10: The Turncoat
When a wealthy family loses its money, their loyalty to each other disappears just as fast. Two days after the asset
freeze, Daniel's resolve completely collapsed. Safe inside his cold, isolated cell, without his mother's money to
protect him, he realized he was looking at the rest of his life behind bars.
Marcus called me into the precinct late that evening. "Daniel wants to make a deal. He's terrified of
maximum-security placement. He's ready to turn on Margaret."
I walked into the room, watching through the one-way glass as Daniel wept openly, his head resting against
his orange sleeve. I stepped inside, sitting down with a folder of his forged documents.
"Elena, please, I'll tell you everything," he begged, his voice cracking. "I have a full statement written down. It
was all Mom. She told me that if I didn't help her with the insurance, she would disinherit me and tell everyone I
was the one failing the business. She bought the almond sauce from an organic farm upstate under a fake name. She
made me take the EpiPen out of my coat."
I looked at him, feeling a deep, profound sense of disgust. This was the man I had loved, the man who had
promised to stand by me for the rest of our lives. He wasn't a criminal mastermind; he was just a weak, hollow
coward who would sacrifice anyone to save his own skin.
"You stood there and watched me suffocate, Daniel," I said, my voice dead and devoid of any emotion. "You
watched your mother pour boiling water onto my skin. You didn't just comply—you participated through your
silence."
"I know, I know! I'm sorry!" he cried, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away. "I'll testify against her in open
court! I'll tell the jury exactly how she planned it. Just please, get the DA to drop the first-degree charge. I can't go
to a maximum-security prison, Elena. Please."
I stood up and looked down at him. "The State will accept your full confession and your testimony against
Margaret. We will recommend a reduction to a second-degree conspiracy charge. But let's be crystal clear, Daniel:
May you like
you are still going to prison. You wanted a quiet life with my money—now you're going to get a very quiet life in a
state cell."
