Chapter 8 - What Edward Wanted Bonnie to Know
Edward surrendered voluntarily.
That frightened Bonnie more than his escape.
She met him inside a federal interview room with Rebecca present.
Vincent watched through the observation glass.
Edward looked older than he had days earlier.
"You came."
"Say what you need to say."
Edward smiled.
"Moretti taught you impatience?"
"My grandmother taught me not to waste time on dishonest men."
His smile disappeared.
Good.
Edward explained the photograph.
Bonnie and Vincent meeting at the hospital hadn't been arranged.
But Eleanor had seen them together.
She recognized Vincent.
That changed her plan.
She realized Bonnie had unknowingly met the person meant to receive the evidence.
"Why didn't she give it to him then?"
"She didn't trust his family."
"But later she did?"
"Later she learned Vincent's father was dead."
Bonnie frowned.
Edward leaned closer.
"Eleanor wasn't protecting the evidence from me alone."
"Who else?"
"Ryan."
Bonnie's stomach tightened.
Edward claimed Ryan discovered the existence of the ledgers before their wedding.
Ryan had agreed to help his father retrieve them.
That much Ryan had admitted.
But Edward added something else.
"Ryan found the first ledger three years into your marriage."
Bonnie stared.
"He told you he hadn't."
"He lied."
"What did he do with it?"
"Copied it."
"Why?"
Edward smiled.
"Insurance."
Bonnie understood.
Ryan had been building leverage against his own father.
Perhaps that was why Edward disappeared.
Perhaps Ryan knew more than anyone realized.
"Where is the copy?"
Edward shrugged.
"Ask him."
Bonnie stood.
Edward called after her.
"There's one more thing."
She stopped.
"The $86,000."
"What about it?"
"It wasn't your only investment."
Bonnie turned.
Edward explained that Eleanor had secretly placed additional property shares in Bonnie's name through trusts.
Ryan discovered them.
Those assets were worth far more than anyone had told her.
"How much?"
Edward smiled.
"Enough that Ryan wasn't the wealthy spouse in your marriage."
Bonnie stared.
"Why tell me?"
"Because I'm tired."
She didn't believe that.
Edward leaned back.
"And because Ryan has the only document that can unlock those trusts."
Bonnie left.
Ryan was under supervised release while cooperating.
She met him with Rebecca.
"Where's the copied ledger?"
Ryan looked at her.
"So he told you."
"Yes."
Ryan opened a safe.
Inside was a drive.
He handed it over.
"I kept it because I needed protection."
"From your father?"
"Yes."
"Why lie to me?"
"Because every truth made me look worse."
Bonnie almost smiled.
"At least that's honest."
Ryan sat down.
"I'm going to prison, aren't I?"
"That's not my decision."
"I forged your signature."
"Yes."
"I hid your ownership."
"Yes."
"I treated you like garbage."
Bonnie said nothing.
Ryan looked toward the window.
"Vanessa told me you and Moretti are seeing each other."
"We've had coffee."
Ryan laughed weakly.
"That's how we started."
Bonnie remembered.
The fake accidental meeting.
The spilled drink.
"Not everything repeats."
Ryan nodded.
Then opened a drawer.
"I have something else."
He removed an old envelope.
Eleanor's handwriting.
Bonnie stiffened.
"Where did you get that?"
"From my father."
Inside was a document identifying several trusts.
And a handwritten note.
Bonnie read it twice.
Her grandmother had transferred the controlling interest in a valuable downtown property portfolio to Bonnie.
Not Ryan.
Not Edward.
Bonnie.
Ryan had spent years building his reputation on projects he didn't truly control.
The irony was almost painful.
"Why didn't you destroy this?"
Ryan looked at her.
"Because some part of me knew someday you'd deserve the truth."
Bonnie closed the envelope.
"No."
Ryan frowned.
"Don't turn your guilt into generosity."
He looked away.
"You're right."
Bonnie left.
Outside, Vincent waited.
She told him everything.
He listened.
Then Bonnie asked the question she'd been avoiding.
"If I'm suddenly worth millions, does that change anything between us?"
Vincent looked confused.
"Yes."
Her heart sank.
"How?"
"I'll let you buy the coffee next time."
Bonnie laughed.
Then Vincent's expression changed.
His security chief approached carrying a tablet.
"We found something in Ryan's copied ledger."
Vincent read the screen.
His face hardened.
Bonnie stepped closer.
"What?"
Vincent turned the tablet toward her.
One transaction had been made only three days earlier.
The recipient was familiar.
Rebecca Sloan.
Bonnie slowly looked toward the building behind them.
Rebecca was standing inside the lobby.
May you like
Watching them.
And when she realized they had seen her name, she turned and ran.
