Chapter 10 — The Brother in the Boardroom
Lucas left the hospital against medical advice.
By eight the next morning, he entered Bennett Medical’s headquarters with his arm in a sling.
Adrian Cross was waiting in the boardroom.
He wore a gray suit and a calm smile.
“You should be resting.”
“You should be running.”
Adrian’s smile faded.
Lucas placed a recorder on the table.
“Sophia told me everything.”
Adrian leaned back.
“And you believed her?”
“She gave us account numbers.”
For the first time, Adrian’s eyes changed.
Lucas continued.
“Federal agents froze the offshore transfers thirty minutes ago.”
Adrian stood.
“You have no idea what that company cost me.”
“It was never yours.”
“It should have been.”
Adrian walked toward the windows.
“Our father abandoned my mother. Then he built an empire for you.”
Lucas absorbed the words.
“You knew?”
“Since I was twelve.”
“And instead of confronting him, you waited until he died and came after my daughter?”
“She was an obstacle.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened.
“She is six.”
“She is the future owner of everything I was denied.”
The boardroom door opened.
Detective Morris entered with federal agents.
Adrian did not resist.
He only looked at Lucas.
“You think you won?”
Lucas remained silent.
Adrian smiled.
“Ask your mother why she paid mine to disappear.”
Lucas froze.
His mother, Margaret Bennett, had always claimed she knew nothing about another child.
Adrian was led away.
That evening, Lucas confronted Margaret at the family estate.
She sat beside the fireplace, elegant and composed.
“Is it true?”
She did not pretend not to understand.
“Yes.”
Lucas felt something break inside him.
“You knew about Adrian.”
“I knew about his mother.”
“You paid her.”
“To protect our family.”
“You created this.”
Margaret stood.
“No. His father created it.”
“You helped bury it.”
She looked toward Emily, who stood in the doorway.
Then Margaret said the words that changed everything again.
“Adrian was not your father’s son.”
May you like
Lucas stared at her.
“He was mine.”
