Chapter 12 - The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The Maine address led to a cottage near the coast.
Ruiz arrived with Nathan and two federal agents.
Vanessa was taken into protective custody.
Elena remained in Vermont.
The cottage looked ordinary.
Fresh flowers sat beside the door.
Smoke rose from the chimney.
Nathan’s hands trembled.
Ruiz knocked.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Footsteps moved inside.
The door opened.
Rebecca Mercer stood there.
Nathan forgot how to breathe.
She was older.
Thinner.
A pale scar crossed her left temple.
But it was Rebecca.
Alive.
She stared at Nathan.
Her eyes filled immediately.
“You weren’t supposed to find me.”
Nathan whispered.
“You’re alive.”
Rebecca stepped backward.
Ruiz identified himself.
“We need to talk.”
Rebecca looked toward the road.
“Then you need to come inside.”
They entered quickly.
Nathan could barely look away from her.
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
Rebecca’s expression hardened.
“Because the last time I tried, your brother found me.”
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
Nathan sat down slowly.
Rebecca explained everything.
After Nathan’s accident, Charles took her to Dr. Voss’s clinic.
He claimed Nathan had died.
Rebecca was sedated.
Held under a false psychiatric diagnosis.
Weeks later she escaped with help from a nurse.
She learned Nathan was alive.
But before she could return, Daniel found her.
“He was twenty-two.”
Rebecca said.
“He told me if I came back, people would die.”
Nathan shook his head.
“Daniel wouldn’t.”
“He showed me photographs of Vanessa.”
“My parents.”
“Your mother.”
“He knew where everyone was.”
Nathan looked destroyed.
“So you disappeared.”
“Yes.”
Ruiz asked about the trust.
Rebecca nodded.
“Robert Howard created it.”
Nathan stared.
“My father?”
“He found me two years after I escaped.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to make restitution.”
“For what?”
Rebecca looked directly at Nathan.
“Your father and Charles built Howard Industries using money Gregory Pike stole.”
Nathan felt the words hit him physically.
“They knew?”
“Robert did.”
“Charles orchestrated it.”
Rebecca continued.
“When my father discovered the laundering, Charles threatened him.”
“My father eventually helped because he was terrified.”
“Later he tried to expose Charles.”
“He disappeared too.”
Vanessa had always believed their father abandoned them.
Rebecca believed he was murdered.
Nathan lowered his head.
Everything his family empire represented suddenly felt contaminated.
Ruiz asked the obvious question.
“Where is Daniel?”
Rebecca looked toward the window.
“He comes tomorrow.”
Nathan froze.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Rebecca’s voice became quiet.
“Because Daniel thinks I have the original financial ledger.”
“Do you?”
Rebecca looked at Ruiz.
“Yes.”
Nathan stood.
“Then we can end this.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“No.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Daniel doesn’t want the ledger for Charles.”
“He wants it for himself.”
Ruiz’s eyes narrowed.
Rebecca continued.
“Charles thinks he controls Daniel.”
“Daniel thinks he controls Charles.”
“And Vanessa believed she controlled both of them.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Who actually controls this?”
Rebecca met his eyes.
“Nobody anymore.”
Outside, a vehicle appeared at the end of the road.
May you like
Rebecca’s face drained of color.
“He’s early.”
