Chapter 9
Chapter 10
When you are ready, do not save the house for me.
Save yourselves from it.
The words from the note echoed in Julian’s head.
His entire life, he had thought his mother was a silent victim. A weak woman, trapped in a marriage with a cruel man.
He had spent years trying to preserve her honor. Restoring the house. Establishing the preservation fund. Naming the foundation after her.
Now he realized, she did not want to be remembered.
She wanted to be set free.
“She knew the whole list,” Claire said quietly, breaking the silence.
She stepped to Julian’s side.
“She knew what had been crushed beneath the foundations of this house. And she knew that if you kept it, you would become your father. You would have to use that same dirty money to maintain it.”
Julian looked down at his own hands.
The hands that had signed dozens of trust documents. The hands that had swung to strike Martin.
He had been so proud of his name.
“What do we do now?” Lydia asked. Her voice was small, like a child lost in her own home.
Julian bent down and took the ledger from his sister’s hands.
He felt the rough texture of the leather cover.
He looked at the yellowed pages filled with crimes.
Then he looked at Martin.
“Do you have a good lawyer, Martin?”
Martin looked bewildered.
“I... I have someone.”
“Call him.”
“At this hour?”
“Right now,” Julian said, biting off each word.
He turned to Claire.
“And call the foundation board. Anyone who is awake. Tell them tomorrow morning's meeting will have the press in attendance.”
Claire's eyes widened.
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“Julian, are you going to...”
“I am going to tear this story apart,” Julian said.
