Chapter 7: Eleanor’s Last Choice
Arthur’s voice was barely audible.
“It was me.”
Miriam held the letter still.
“Grace deserves to hear Eleanor’s words.”
Arthur looked at me.
“May I tell her first?”
I folded my arms.
“Tell me exactly what you said to my mother.”
He stood, but his knees shook.
“I told Eleanor she could come home only if she surrendered her baby for adoption.”
Samuel closed his eyes.
Arthur continued, “She held you against her chest and said, ‘Then I have no home.’”
My breath caught.
“You let her leave?”
“I believed she would return alone.”
“She chose me.”
“Yes.”
“And you punished her for it.”
Arthur’s face crumpled.
“Yes.”
I pressed the scarf against my mouth, but the sound escaped anyway.
Agnes crossed the room and held me while I cried.
“She never abandoned me,” I said.
“No,” Agnes whispered.
“She gave up everything to keep you.”
Arthur took one step forward.
“I searched for her after your grandfather became ill.
The name Miller led nowhere.”
“You searched after years had passed.”
“Yes.”
“That is the painful truth,” I said.
“You wanted her back when it became easier for you—not when she needed you.”
Arthur lowered his head.
“I have no defense.”
A phone vibrated on the table.
Marcus glanced at the screen, then quickly turned it facedown.
Miriam noticed.
“Whose message was that?”
“No one’s.”
Richard picked up the phone before Marcus could stop him.
“It’s from Leonard Price, the family accountant.”
Vanessa moved toward the front door.
Arthur blocked her.
“Where are you going?”
“You wanted Grace.
You have her.”
Richard read the message aloud.
“Transfer completed.
One million eight hundred thousand dollars moved to the offshore holding account.”
Miriam faced Vanessa.
“You used the trust’s money.”
“It was compensation for ten years of managing this family.”
“You had no authority to move a dollar.”
Vanessa reached for the door handle.
I stepped in front of it.
“You knew who I was before I arrived.”
“I suspected.”
“You hired investigators.
You stole my records.
You forged my signature.”
“I did what none of these weak men could do.”
“You also cut my hair because you thought humiliation would make me leave.”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed.
“And I would do it again.
People like you mistake kindness for entitlement.”
Richard removed his wedding ring and placed it on the table.
“Our marriage is over.”
She stared at the ring.
“You’ll come crawling back when she throws you out of this house.”
“I helped bring Grace here without telling her why.
I will answer for that.
But I won’t help you hurt her again.”
Vanessa turned to Arthur.
“If I go down, your name goes with mine.
Leonard has your signature on every transfer.”
Arthur’s face drained of color.
“I never approved them.”
“You signed blank authorization pages for years.”
Miriam reached for her phone.
“I’m freezing every trust account.”
Marcus grabbed his briefcase.
“You assured me these transfers were approved.”
Vanessa caught his sleeve.
“You work for me.”
“Not anymore.”
Richard held up his phone.
“Vanessa, you should know our conversation in the hallway was recorded.”
Her eyes widened.
His phone played her voice: “Once Grace signs, the estate remains under Arthur’s control, and the transfers can never be traced to us.”
Vanessa lunged toward him, but Samuel stepped between them.
“You’ve taken enough.”
Miriam spoke into her phone.
“Freeze the accounts and notify the financial investigators.”
Vanessa backed away, then ran through the side door.
A car engine roared outside.
Arthur rushed to the window.
“She took my sedan.”
Miriam checked the account notice and went pale.
“The holding company is closing the purchase of the eastern land at midnight.”
“Can you stop it?” I asked.
“Not without the authorization token.”
Richard looked toward the empty hook beside the study door.
Vanessa had taken Arthur’s security key.
Samuel grabbed his coat.
“She isn’t running away.”
“Then where is she going?” I asked.
May you like
He opened the door.
“To sell the last piece of Eleanor’s estate before Grace can claim it.”
