Chapter 8: The Lie My Brother Wanted Me to Believe
I read Trevor's message three times.
Dad did.
It was exactly the kind of sentence designed to destroy whatever certainty I had left.
Rebecca took one look at my face.
"Do not respond.""
"I wasn't going to.""
"Good.""
Grandpa leaned toward my phone.
"What did he say?""
I showed him.
His jaw tightened.
"He's lying.""
"Maybe.""
Grandpa looked hurt.
"You believe him?""
"I've spent my whole life believing people because they're family.""
Rebecca quietly closed the ledger.
"That's enough for today.""
Grandpa started to object.
She looked at him.
"Mr. Holloway, your granddaughter has discovered in seventy-two hours that her inheritance was taken, her identity may have been used for financial transactions, and corporate ownership records involving her were manipulated. She doesn't need another theory.""
Grandpa stopped.
I almost hugged Rebecca.
Instead, I went home.
Dad was sitting outside my apartment building.
Of course he was.
I considered driving away.
Then he saw me.
He stood.
I parked.
"What are you doing here?""
"Trying to talk to my daughter.""
"Did Mom send you?""
"No.""
"Grandpa?""
"No.""
"Trevor?""
His expression changed.
"Has he contacted you?""
I ignored the question.
"Why are you here?""
Dad held up an envelope.
"Because I found this.""
I didn't take it.
"What is it?""
"Your grandmother's handwriting.""
My pulse jumped.
"Where?""
"In a box in the attic.""
"How convenient.""
He flinched.
"I deserve that.""
"Yes.""
He nodded.
"I haven't opened it.""
"Why not?""
"Because your name is on it.""
The envelope read:
For Paige, when she is ready.
My knees weakened.
I unlocked the building.
"Come upstairs.""
Dad sat at my kitchen table while I called Rebecca.
She told me to photograph the envelope before opening it.
I did.
Then I carefully broke the seal.
Inside were four handwritten pages.
Grandma's writing.
I recognized it instantly.
Paige,
If you're reading this, I hope it means you're old enough to understand something I should have said sooner.
Your brother is loved loudly in this family.
You are loved quietly.
That is not the compliment people think it is.
My eyes blurred.
I stopped.
Dad looked down.
I kept reading.
People will tell themselves you need less because you ask for less. They will mistake independence for invulnerability. Never help them make that mistake.
I covered my mouth.
Grandma had seen it.
Before college.
Before the missed graduation.
Before any of this.
She had seen exactly what my family would become.
The letter continued.
I have left you ownership in the company because you notice what others ignore. Not because I expect you to work there, but because I want you to have a voice in the thing our family built.
I looked at Dad.
He was crying silently.
I continued.
Your father loves you, but he is too easily persuaded by peace. He will sometimes choose the path that causes the least conflict instead of the path that is right. I hope he grows out of that.
Dad laughed once through tears.
"She knew me.""
I kept reading.
Your mother loves fiercely, but fear makes her unfair. She worries constantly that Trevor will fail, so she gives him what she assumes you can earn for yourself. I have warned her that this will hurt both of you.
My hands shook.
Then came the line that changed everything.
If anything happens to me before you turn twenty-five, Walter has instructions to protect your shares, and David has instructions to protect your trust. Neither should surrender those responsibilities to Linda.
I looked at Dad.
His face was white.
"You had instructions.""
"I never saw them.""
"Grandma says you did.""
"I swear to you, Paige.""
"Don't swear.""
"I'm telling you the truth.""
"Then explain how Mom became trustee.""
"I can't.""
The last page contained something else.
A warning.
There is one document separate from this letter. Walter knows where it is. It concerns succession and should only be opened if ownership of the company is ever disputed.
I stopped.
"Grandpa knows.""
Dad frowned.
"Knows what?""
"Where another document is.""
I called Grandpa.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Rebecca called.
"Paige, don't go anywhere.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
"Daniel just contacted me. Walter is missing.""
I stood.
"What?""
"He left his house around an hour ago.""
"That's not missing.""
"His car was found at Holloway Home Supply.""
Dad stood too.
"Is he inside?""
"No.""
"Phone?""
"Found in his car.""
My skin prickled.
"Trevor?""
"We don't know.""
Then Dad's phone rang.
Unknown number.
We looked at each other.
He answered.
"Hello?""
A man's voice.
"David Holloway?""
"Yes.""
"This is Detective Warren. We need you at Holloway Home Supply.""
Dad's face changed.
"Why?""
"We've located your father.""
I grabbed my purse.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived.
Grandpa was sitting in the back of an ambulance.
Alive.
Furious.
A bandage covered his forehead.
I ran toward him.
"What happened?""
"Someone hit me.""
Dad stopped.
"Who?""
"If I knew, I'd tell the police.""
Grandpa had gone to the warehouse because he remembered something Grandma had hidden there.
An old wall safe behind a cabinet in the original office.
"I hadn't opened it since Eleanor died.""
"Why now?""
He looked at me.
"Your letter.""
I froze.
"You knew about it?""
"I knew she'd written you something. I didn't know what it said.""
I pulled out my phone and showed him the paragraph about the succession document.
Grandpa's eyes closed.
"That.""
"What is it?""
He looked toward the building.
"Gone.""
My stomach dropped.
"The safe?""
"Empty.""
Detective Warren approached.
"Ms. Holloway?""
"Yes.""
"We recovered security footage.""
Dad asked, "Trevor?""
The detective looked at Grandpa.
"We don't know yet. Whoever entered wore a hood and baseball cap.""
"Male?""
"Appears to be.""
Grandpa touched his bandage.
"He came up behind me.""
"Did he say anything?""
"One thing.""
"What?""
Grandpa looked at me.
"He said, 'She was never supposed to find out.''"
My blood went cold.
Detective Warren continued.
"The person left through the loading area.""
"Vehicle?""
"Camera caught part of a plate.""
Dad asked, "Can you trace it?""
"We already did.""
The detective's expression changed.
"The vehicle is registered to Marcus Vale.""
Dad's face hardened.
Mom's former fiancé.
Grandpa stared.
"Why would Marcus care about Paige's ownership?""
Nobody answered.
Then Mom arrived.
She ran across the parking lot.
"Walter!""
Grandpa's face went stone cold.
Mom stopped when she saw the police.
Then she saw me.
"Paige.""
"Do you know where Marcus is?""
She froze.
Dad stepped forward.
"Answer her.""
"I haven't spoken to him since Tennessee.""
"His car was here.""
Mom's face drained.
"What?""
"Someone driving his car attacked Dad.""
"No.""
She shook her head violently.
"Marcus wouldn't—"
Dad laughed bitterly.
"You still defending him?""
"I'm saying he wouldn't attack Walter.""
"How would you know?""
"Because Marcus doesn't care about the company.""
Grandpa looked at her.
"Then what does he care about?""
Mom opened her mouth.
Stopped.
I saw it.
There was something else.
"Mom.""
She looked at me.
"What does Marcus want?""
Her eyes filled with fear.
"He wants the document.""
"What document?""
"The one Eleanor hid.""
Grandpa stepped toward her.
"How do you know about that?""
Mom backed away.
"Trevor found a reference to it years ago.""
"What does it say?""
"I don't know.""
"You're lying.""
"I swear.""
I stepped closer.
"Then why does Marcus want it?""
Mom looked at Dad.
For a second, she seemed almost ashamed.
"Because he thinks it proves Walter committed fraud when the company was founded.""
Grandpa stared.
"That's absurd.""
"Marcus doesn't think so.""
"What fraud?""
Mom swallowed.
"He says Holloway Home Supply wasn't entirely yours.""
Grandpa's expression changed.
"Who told him that?""
"His father.""
Nobody spoke.
Mom continued.
"Marcus's father and Walter started the company together.""
Dad looked at Grandpa.
"Is that true?""
Grandpa's jaw tightened.
"Partly.""
"Partly?""
"Thomas Vale worked with me for the first eighteen months.""
Mom nodded.
"Marcus says his father invested money.""
"He did.""
"And?""
Grandpa looked away.
"And we separated.""
"Why?""
Grandpa's voice dropped.
"Because Thomas stole from the company.""
The irony was almost unbearable.
Dad asked, "What happened to his ownership?""
"He signed it over as part of a settlement.""
"Where's the agreement?""
Grandpa looked toward the warehouse.
"In the safe.""
Of course.
The missing document wasn't only about my ownership.
It could potentially affect the entire company.
Mom whispered, "Marcus believes Walter forced his father out.""
Grandpa's face hardened.
"Thomas nearly bankrupted us.""
"Can you prove it?""
"Not without the documents he just stole.""
The detective interrupted.
"We don't know Marcus stole anything.""
Then his radio crackled.
He stepped away.
Thirty seconds later, he returned.
His expression had changed.
"We found the vehicle.""
"Where?"" Dad asked.
"Abandoned about three miles away.""
"Marcus?""
"No.""
The detective looked directly at Mom.
"But we found a phone inside.""
Her face went white.
"Whose?""
He paused.
"Trevor Holloway's.""
Mom swayed.
Dad caught her instinctively.
I stared at the warehouse.
Trevor had Marcus's car.
Trevor's phone had been left inside it.
Grandpa had been attacked.
The safe was empty.
And my brother had just become the center of something much bigger than embezzlement.
Then my phone buzzed.
One message.
A photo.
Trevor standing beside Marcus Vale.
Both men alive.
Both staring into the camera.
Between them sat the missing document box.
May you like
The caption underneath contained five words.
Ask Dad who my father is.
