Chapter 10 - Arthur's Part in the Secret
Victoria read the trust document three times.
Not money.
Authority.
A dormant indemnity trust created after the original contamination settlement.
Daniel inherited successor rights through his biological line.
After his death, they passed to his spouse.
Victoria.
The trust controlled one thing Charles needed.
Consent to activate land reversion.
Her signature.
Arthur whispered, “That is why he needed you discredited.”
“Or cooperative.”
“Yes.”
Victoria looked at the forged consent.
Charles had tried both.
Arthur sat back.
“I should have told you about the settlement years ago.”
“Yes.”
“I thought it was dead history.”
“History is never dead when someone is still making money from it.”
Arthur almost smiled.
Then his phone rang.
Foundation board.
Emergency session.
They wanted him removed too.
Charles’s people were cleaning the board while he sat in custody.
Victoria said, “Go.”
“What?”
“Go save your foundation.”
“And you?”
“I’m going to my office.”
Melissa had one more secret.
She always did.
At the firm, Melissa was waiting with counsel.
Victoria dismissed the lawyer.
Melissa said, “I’m cooperating.”
“Good.”
“I gave investigators everything.”
“Not everything.”
Melissa’s face changed.
“What?”
“Why did Charles want Lily’s birth certificate?”
“I told you.”
“No. You told me what he asked for.”
Victoria placed Daniel’s genealogy file down.
“Did he ask for mine?”
Melissa stared.
Then nodded.
Victoria’s pulse climbed.
“What exactly?”
“Marriage certificate.”
“Why?”
“Trust succession.”
There it was.
Charles was proving Victoria inherited the authority.
He needed legal continuity.
Melissa whispered, “There’s more.”
Of course.
“What?”
“He asked me to research whether you could be removed as Lily’s guardian.”
“Already tried.”
“He asked before the gala.”
Victoria stopped.
“How long before?”
“Three months.”
Evelyn’s attack had been useful to Charles.
Maybe encouraged.
Not planned in detail.
But waited for.
“He expected me to lose control.”
“Yes.”
Victoria’s stomach turned.
“Did he tell Evelyn to target Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he tell you?”
“No.”
Melissa looked down.
“But he said Evelyn would eventually give him something he could use.”
Victoria’s hands curled.
He knew Evelyn.
He knew her contempt.
He knew Victoria.
He knew Lily.
He did not need to script the slap.
He only needed to create enough pressure and wait.
Arthur called.
“Vic.”
“What?”
“We found the original permit-trigger metadata.”
“And?”
“Daniel scheduled more than one release.”
“How many?”
“Four.”
Victoria’s pulse jumped.
“Where are the others?”
“One went to me. One to you.”
“And?”
“One to a federal environmental prosecutor.”
Good.
“The fourth?”
Arthur hesitated.
“Charles.”
Victoria stared.
“Daniel sent evidence to Charles?”
“No.”
“What then?”
“A warning.”
Arthur forwarded it.
Daniel’s subject line:
IF YOU BREAK THE DEAL, ARTHUR GETS THE FILE.
Victoria stopped breathing.
Arthur whispered:
“Daniel gave Charles a countdown.”
May you like
CUT.
