Chapter 8 - Malcolm’s Two Targets
Malcolm Huxley had spent decades cleaning financial records for North Range.
He knew Rebecca's daughter existed.
He also knew where she had been placed.
That meant Trent grew up around the secret.
But did Trent know Megan was Rebecca's daughter when he dated her?
He denied it through his attorney.
Records initially supported him.
Trent and Megan met in college.
Malcolm didn't discover the relationship until months later.
According to emails recovered from Malcolm's computer, he panicked.
He ordered Trent to end it.
Trent refused.
Malcolm then contacted Megan privately.
Weeks later, she left Montana.
Trent believed she had abandoned him.
That resentment became part of who he was.
Years later, Trent met Cassidy without knowing Cassidy and Megan were maternal half-sisters.
Then Malcolm recognized Elaine.
Everything changed.
Malcolm realized his son had independently dated both of Rebecca Cross's daughters.
Not because of some elaborate breeding conspiracy.
Not because Trent deliberately targeted sisters.
Because Montana communities overlap, and hidden identities create coincidences that look impossible afterward.
Malcolm saw opportunity.
Through Cassidy, he could reach Elaine's mineral holdings.
He began manipulating Trent.
He told him Elaine had cheated his family.
That Mercer Basin Holdings contained money rightfully belonging to the Huxleys.
Trent believed enough of it to become obsessed.
Then Malcolm died.
Trent inherited the obsession without understanding its origin.
Still, none of that excused what he did to Cassidy.
Explanations weren't absolution.
Then Megan Cole contacted investigators.
Alive.
Living in Oregon.
Thirty-four years old.
Married.
Veterinarian.
She had avoided Montana for twelve years because Malcolm frightened her.
She agreed to speak remotely.
When Cassidy appeared on the video call, neither woman knew what to say.
Maternal half-sisters.
Strangers.
Megan finally whispered:
“You have Mom's eyes.”
Cassidy cried.
“So do you.”
Elaine had contacted Megan in 2014.
One meeting.
She told Megan she was her biological mother.
Megan reacted badly.
Understandably.
She had loving adoptive parents.
Elaine's sudden appearance felt invasive.
Elaine apologized and left.
Megan later reconsidered.
She tried to contact Elaine in 2016.
Too late.
Elaine was dead.
Then Megan revealed why Malcolm frightened her.
He told her:
“Rebecca stole something before you were born, and you're going to give it back.”
Megan had no idea what he meant.
Now we did.
Mercer Basin Holdings.
Except Megan wasn't Elaine's legal heir.
Cassidy was.
Unless Elaine had made provisions for both daughters.
Her will had.
A sealed amendment existed.
Mercer Basin Holdings was to be divided equally between Cassidy and a beneficiary identified only through a birth record number.
Megan.
Estimated value after liabilities and unresolved claims:
Around $8.5 million each.
Megan laughed when told.
Not happily.
“I don't want stolen land.”
Neither did Cassidy.
Forensic review began.
Some mineral rights traced to legitimate purchases.
Others originated from transactions North Range may have manipulated.
The sisters agreed nothing would be distributed until ownership was reconstructed.
Then Megan asked:
“Is Caleb alive?”
Daniel answered yes.
Megan closed her eyes.
“He came to see me last month.”
“What?”
Caleb warned her Trent had discovered the will amendment.
He told Megan not to return to Montana.
Then he said something strange:
“If Trent finds out who Lydia's father is, Cassidy will lose everything.”
Cassidy stared at the screen.
“What?”
I felt cold.
Lydia was Trent's daughter.
Wasn't she?
Cassidy whispered:
“Dad…”
I looked at her.
Her face told me there was another secret.
May you like
She said:
“Trent isn't Lydia's biological father.”
