Chapter 9 - Sophia’s Inheritance
Sophia thought it was fraud.
Nathan thought so too.
Until they found Michael Reed’s signature.
Sophia had inherited the trust at twenty-one.
Nobody told her.
A third-party trustee exercised voting rights.
“Who?”
Nathan hesitated.
“Victor Kane.”
Sophia laughed in disbelief.
“My father left me shares controlled by Victor?”
“Apparently.”
“That makes no sense.”
Ethan disagreed.
“It does if your father wanted Victor to believe he controlled them.”
They examined the trust.
A hidden provision allowed Sophia to revoke the trustee immediately after receiving proof of “material misconduct relating to Rachel Brooks.”
Michael had built a trap.
Victor had spent years controlling Sophia’s shares.
But if she ever learned the truth about Rachel, Victor’s authority ended.
Sophia signed the revocation.
Victor lost twelve percent overnight.
The board vote collapsed.
For the moment.
But Sophia was furious.
Not at Ethan.
At her father.
“He made me part of something without telling me.”
Ethan understood.
“My entire life apparently belongs to that category.”
They sat in an empty hospital cafeteria at 3:00 a.m.
For the first time since his identity was exposed, Sophia spoke about them.
“Was anything real?”
“Yes.”
“Which part?”
“All of mine.”
“That isn’t enough.”
“I know.”
She looked at him.
“You tested me.”
“Yes.”
“Because you thought women were after money.”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
Ethan looked around.
At the fluorescent lights.
At the vending machine where he once pretended to count coins.
“I think I was arrogant.”
Sophia waited.
“I treated ordinary life like something I could rent for a month.”
That answer surprised her.
Ethan continued:
“You gave me food you thought I needed. You defended me when you thought I couldn’t help you. And I let you make those choices without knowing who I was.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
She did not forgive him.
But she stayed.
At 3:18 a.m., Nathan called.
Victor had been released pending further investigation.
Worse:
Evelyn was missing.
Her hospital bed was empty.
Security footage showed her leaving voluntarily in a wheelchair.
With a man.
Silver hair.
Late sixties.
Sophia stared at the image.
She had seen that face before.
Not personally.
In childhood photographs.
“My father.”
Michael Reed was alive.
Ethan stared.
Michael pushed Evelyn into an elevator.
Before the doors closed, Evelyn looked directly into the security camera.
Then held up a handwritten message.
DO NOT TRUST NATHAN.
May you like
Ethan slowly turned toward his attorney.
Nathan had gone silent.
