Chapter 9: The Last Trap
I stared at Dad.
“You funded Selina’s company?”
“Before I knew who controlled it.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
Rowan laughed.
“Your father invested in the same company he’s accusing of theft.”
Dad opened the blue folder.
“I invested through a holding company after Rowan presented software he claimed to own.”
Selina folded her arms.
“A legitimate business transaction.”
Claire stepped closer.
“Where is the software?”
Dad looked at Rowan.
“That is the question.”
Rowan’s smile faded.
Dad handed Claire a patent record.
“The software belonged to a retired engineer named Arthur Bell.
Rowan copied the presentation and sold me rights he did not own.”
Martin stepped away from Rowan.
“You told me the ownership dispute had been resolved.”
“It was,” Rowan said.
A man carrying a worn briefcase came around the corner.
Arthur Bell stopped beside Dad.
“No, it wasn’t.”
Rowan backed toward the wall.
Arthur opened his briefcase and removed an old laptop.
“I designed the program with Rowan when he worked for me.
He removed my name from the files after I refused to sell.”
Selina pointed at Dad.
“You paid him to say this.”
Arthur looked at her.
“You sent me $20,000 to stay quiet.”
Claire held out her hand.
“Do you have proof?”
Arthur gave her a bank statement.
Selina turned to Rowan.
“You said he accepted the settlement.”
“You handled him!”
“You told me there were no original files.”
Arthur tapped the laptop.
“Every version is dated.”
Two investigators approached with Owen Shaw.
Owen would not look at Selina.
“I gave them the internal bank records,” he said.
“Including the override Selina requested.”
“You weak little man,” Selina hissed.
“You used my promotion to control me.”
“And you enjoyed the salary.”
One investigator addressed Rowan and Selina.
“We have authorization to search the offices of Bennett Family Consulting and seize its financial records.”
Rowan took out his phone.
Claire spoke sharply.
“Don’t delete anything.”
“I’m calling my attorney.”
Martin closed his case.
“I no longer represent you.”
Selina caught his arm.
“You can’t walk away.”
“I can when clients submit documents I was never told were forged.”
Rowan looked at me.
“Phoebe, we can still fix this.
I’ll return the money.
We’ll go to counseling.”
“You threatened to take Leo.”
“I was angry.”
“You used my medical records.”
“Mom prepared those.”
Selina stared at him.
“Coward.”
He pointed at her.
“You planned everything.”
“And you carried it out.”
Mara stepped between them.
“Neither of you gets to hide behind the other.”
Rowan reached for me.
I moved back before he could touch my sleeve.
“I loved you,” he said.
“You loved the door you thought I could open.”
“That isn’t fair.”
“Neither was leaving me alone while our son was being born.”
The investigator asked Rowan to surrender his phone.
He held it against his chest.
“You don’t understand.
I was supposed to have a future.”
Dad looked at him.
“You had one.
Phoebe offered it to you.”
Rowan slowly handed over the phone.
Selina removed a diamond bracelet and dropped it into her handbag.
“This family will regret humiliating me.”
Mara’s voice broke.
“We were your family.”
Selina looked at her daughter.
“You were expensive obligations.”
Mara flinched, but I took her hand.
The investigators escorted Selina and Rowan toward the elevators.
Rowan turned before the doors closed.
“You’ll tell Leo I was a terrible father.”
“No,” I said.
“I’ll tell him you were given choices.”
The doors slid shut.
Claire’s phone rang before we reached the parking lot.
She listened, then covered the receiver.
“They found dozens of accounts at Bennett Family Consulting,” she said.
“One of them is in Leo’s name.”
My stomach turned.
“He’s four days old.”
May you like
Dad looked toward the closed elevator.
“Then their plan did not end with the will.”
