Chapter 9 - The Deal Dad Never Finished
Dad had signed.
Then revoked it.
Twenty-three minutes later.
Robert had both documents.
Vale had preserved only the first.
That was his final weapon.
But a revoked agreement wasn't enough to save him.
The timestamped revocation proved Dad backed out before money changed hands.
Why?
Because I arrived.
Dad had watched me walk into the bank prepared to risk my savings and future for our family.
He couldn't give the property to Vale after that.
He chose me.
I didn't know whether to feel honored or furious.
“Why hide this?”
Dad answered from his hospital bed.
“Shame.”
That word again.
Our family had nearly destroyed itself through things nobody wanted to admit.
Mom's resentment.
Tyler's jealousy.
Dad's shame.
Robert's secrecy.
My pride.
Vale had merely found the cracks.
We had created them.
That realization didn't excuse anyone.
But it explained how a stranger had walked into our family and turned us against each other.
Tyler began cooperating fully with investigators.
Mom gave Robert every financial record in the house.
Dad executed updated trust documents while two independent attorneys supervised.
And I finally stopped trying to carry everything alone.
Vale was indicted.
Fraud.
Forgery conspiracy.
Attempted financial exploitation.
Burglary-related charges were still being investigated.
Mason agreed to testify.
Claire agreed to testify.
Vale posted bond.
Then he disappeared.
Police believed he hadn't left the country.
His passport had been surrendered.
Robert told us not to panic.
I didn't.
Until I received a package.
No return address.
Inside was Tyler's graduation photograph.
The same one from the party.
Someone had drawn a red circle around Tyler's face.
On the back:
YOUR BROTHER STILL OWES ME.
I called Tyler.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
I drove to the house.
Mom hadn't seen him.
His car was gone.
Then his phone sent me a location.
An abandoned industrial property once owned by Dad's company.
I called police.
I was told not to go.
I went anyway.
The building was dark.
Tyler's car sat outside.
Driver's door open.
His phone lay on the pavement.
I picked it up.
The screen was cracked.
A text appeared.
UNKNOWN: Come inside, Ethan.
May you like
Then the warehouse door opened.
And my brother's voice shouted from somewhere in the darkness...
