Daniel stared at his name.

“You put the money into a trust for me?”

Victor nodded.

“Your homes, your company shares, Noah’s education—all of it grew from that account.”

“So you expect me to protect you.”

“I expect you to protect your son.”

Eleanor touched Daniel’s sleeve.

“We can leave.”

Victor gave a soft laugh.

“That is what she does best.”

Daniel turned sharply.

“She leaves because you force her out.”

“For one afternoon she has been your mother again, and already you’re willing to ruin Noah’s future.”

“I’m willing to find the truth.”

The study door opened.

An elderly woman in a gray uniform stood there holding a wooden box.

Victor’s cane struck the floor.

“Mrs.

Bell, get out.”

She walked to Eleanor instead.

“I should have given you this years ago.”

Eleanor recognized her.

“You worked here when Daniel was little.”

“I heard him crying after you came to the gate.” Mrs.

Bell placed the box in her hands.

“Victor ordered me to burn your letters.

I burned empty envelopes and hid the letters.”

Victor reached for the box.

Daniel blocked him.

“Don’t touch it.”

“They are stolen family records.”

“They belong to my mother.”

Mrs.

Bell opened a small drawer beneath the letters.

Inside was a cassette tape.

“Mr.

Hale left his recorder running during the signing.”

Martin went pale.

“I thought that tape was gone.”

“I took it from your briefcase,” Mrs.

Bell said.

“I was afraid you would destroy it.”

Victor’s voice softened.

“Margaret, you have served this family for forty years.

Name a number.”

Mrs.

Bell looked at him.

“You never learned the difference between service and obedience.”

Daniel found an old cassette player on a shelf.

His thumb shook as he pressed PLAY.

Victor’s younger voice filled the room.

“Sign the page, Eleanor, and I may allow supervised visits.”

Then came Eleanor’s voice.

“You said Daniel would be here.”

“He will never see you again unless you cooperate.”

“I want the whole document.”

“You don’t have that privilege.”

The tape clicked.

A door slammed.

Daniel stopped the recording.

Eleanor covered her mouth.

Noah wrapped both arms around her, and she bent against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel whispered.

She looked at him through tears.

“You were a child.”

“I stopped looking for you.”

“You believed your father.”

“I should have questioned him.”

“You were nine years old.”

Victor moved toward the fireplace with the transfer slips tucked beneath his jacket.

Martin pointed.

“Daniel!”

Daniel seized Victor’s wrist before the papers reached the flames.

“Give them to me.”

Victor pulled free.

“Do you want Noah to grow up poor?”

“I want him to grow up knowing I chose people over money.”

A man in a dark suit appeared at the open door.

“Daniel Mercer?”

Daniel faced him.

“Yes?”

The man handed him a thick envelope.

“You’ve been served.

Mercer Holdings has obtained an emergency order freezing your accounts and suspending your authority as chief executive.”

Victor straightened his jacket.

“You wanted the truth, son.

Now let’s see how much truth you can afford.”