Chapter 18 - The Confession in the Original Ledger
The words stared back at me.
I killed Elliot.
I looked at my mother.
She was crying.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Guilty.
I slowly raised the ledger.
“Mom.”
Her lips trembled.
“Nathan…”
“You killed Grandpa?”
She closed her eyes.
“I didn't mean to.”
Victor laughed softly.
“That is always the first thing people say.”
My father turned toward him.
“Shut up.”
Victor raised the gun.
“Mark, you don't get to give orders anymore.”
Daniel stepped between Victor and Sarah.
“Put the gun down.”
Victor smiled.
“You still think this is about violence.”
He looked at the ledger.
“It isn't.”
He pointed toward me.
“It is about ownership.”
I looked back at the page.
My mother's handwriting filled the confession.
I forced myself to read.
I killed Elliot because he discovered what I had done.
My stomach tightened.
I turned the page.
There was more.
I believed I was protecting Nathan.
I looked up.
“Protecting me from what?”
Mom shook her head.
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of what Elliot had discovered.”
“Tell me.”
She looked at Dad.
He whispered:
“Linda.”
She turned toward him.
“No.”
Her voice was suddenly stronger.
“I can't keep doing this.”
She looked at me.
“Your grandfather discovered that someone had been accessing Northstar.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Victor laughed.
“You know.”
Mom looked at him.
“I don't.”
“You were there.”
“I was scared.”
“You signed the transfer.”
“I was forced.”
Victor's expression hardened.
“By whom?”
Mom looked at the ledger.
Then at me.
“By your father.”
Dad froze.
I turned toward him.
“You forced Mom?”
He shook his head.
“No.”
Mom started crying again.
“You told me Elliot was going to destroy the family.”
“I was trying to stop him.”
“You told me he was going to take Nathan away.”
“I believed it.”
“You lied.”
Dad's face broke.
“I was wrong.”
Mom looked at me.
“He told me Elliot planned to expose Northstar.”
I frowned.
“Expose it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he believed the structure had become dangerous.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Elliot wanted to dissolve Northstar.”
Mom nodded.
“He wanted everything returned to the beneficiaries.”
I looked at Victor.
“And that threatened Meridian.”
“Yes.”
Victor's expression changed.
“Don't make this sound noble.”
I stared at him.
“You were involved.”
He smiled.
“Long before you were born.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You worked with Elliot.”
Victor laughed.
“For a time.”
“What happened?”
“He became difficult.”
“Because he wanted to protect the children.”
Victor's eyes moved to Sarah.
“Because he wanted to protect everyone except himself.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You knew me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let them say I was dead?”
Victor shrugged.
“Because dead people are easier to control.”
Sarah's face tightened.
I stepped between them.
“You used my family.”
“No.”
Victor's smile disappeared.
“Your family used itself.”
He pointed at the ledger.
“Evelyn created Northstar.”
“Because she wanted to protect us.”
“She wanted control.”
“That isn't what I see.”
“You see what your grandmother wanted you to see.”
He nodded toward the ledger.
“Keep reading.”
I looked down.
The next page contained another entry.
Elliot discovered the second Northstar account.
Below it:
He confronted Mark.
Then:
Mark threatened to expose Sarah's existence.
I stopped.
I looked at Dad.
“You knew.”
He looked at Sarah.
“Yes.”
“You knew she was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Before I did.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because every person who knew became a target.”
I shook my head.
“You made me believe she was dead.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You let me think I was an only child.”
“I know.”
“You let me hate Brandon.”
“I know.”
“You let me believe Grandpa was dead.”
“I know.”
I stared at him.
“How many lies can one person call protection?”
He had no answer.
Mom stepped forward.
“I need to tell you the rest.”
Dad turned toward her.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“I already lied enough.”
She looked at me.
“The night Elliot died…”
I held my breath.
“He came to the house.”
“Why?”
“To confront your father.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“He had the original ledger.”
“The one I'm holding?”
“No.”
My mother shook her head.
“There was another.”
I looked at Victor.
He nodded.
“The real one.”
“Where is it?”
Mom looked toward Sarah.
“She has it.”
Sarah froze.
“What?”
Mom whispered:
“Evelyn gave it to you.”
Sarah shook her head.
“I never had it.”
“You did.”
“No.”
“When you were six.”
Sarah stared at her.
“I don't remember.”
“Because she erased the evidence.”
Daniel looked confused.
“What evidence?”
Mom looked at him.
“Your sister's identity.”
Sarah stepped backward.
“My identity?”
Mom nodded.
“She carried the ledger when she was moved.”
I stared.
“Why would Grandma give a child a ledger?”
“She didn't know what it was.”
“What happened?”
“The family who raised Sarah was told it was a children's book.”
Sarah's face changed.
“I remember a book.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What book?”
“A black one.”
My heart stopped.
“The ledger.”
Sarah nodded slowly.
“I thought it was a storybook.”
“Where is it?”
She closed her eyes.
“I don't know.”
Victor smiled.
“You do.”
Sarah looked at him.
“No.”
“You've had it all your life.”
“I don't.”
Victor's voice became softer.
“Think.”
Sarah pressed a hand against her forehead.
“I remember a room.”
“What room?”
“Grandma's house.”
“Which one?”
“The old one.”
She looked at me.
“The one that burned.”
My chest tightened.
“The fire.”
Mom nodded.
“Your grandmother staged the fire.”
“To destroy records.”
“No.”
She looked at Sarah.
“To make everyone believe the ledger was destroyed.”
I looked at the original ledger in my hands.
“So this isn't the real one.”
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“Now you're beginning to understand.”
Daniel stepped toward him.
“Then where is it?”
Victor looked at me.
“Ask your mother.”
I turned.
Mom was trembling.
“Where is the real ledger?”
She looked toward the floor.
“In the house.”
“The Mercer house?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
She whispered:
“Your childhood home.”
My stomach dropped.
“The house Dad sold?”
“Yes.”
“But it was demolished.”
Mom shook her head.
“No.”
Dad stared at her.
“What are you saying?”
“The house was never demolished.”
Everyone went silent.
Mom continued.
“The buyers were fake.”
I looked at Dad.
He looked shocked.
“I didn't know.”
Mom turned toward him.
“You knew enough.”
“I thought the property was gone.”
“It was transferred.”
“To whom?”
She looked at me.
“Northstar.”
I felt dizzy.
“The house still exists.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She took a breath.
“Under another name.”
Victor suddenly looked toward the tunnel entrance.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He raised the gun.
Everyone turned.
Footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
Fast.
Daniel moved in front of Sarah.
Victor aimed toward the darkness.
A figure appeared.
Brandon.
He was holding the red binder.
And behind him was Paul.
Brandon looked at me.
“Nathan.”
I stepped toward him.
“Where were you?”
He looked at Victor.
Then at the ledger.
Then at Sarah.
His face changed.
“You found her.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You knew?”
Brandon nodded.
“Yes.”
She looked hurt.
“Why didn't you tell Nathan?”
“Because Grandpa made me promise.”
I turned toward him.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Brandon looked at me.
“Because Elliot knew what would happen if you found Sarah too soon.”
“What?”
“Your inheritance would activate.”
“It already did.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Not completely.”
I frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Brandon opened the red binder.
“There is a final condition.”
“What condition?”
He turned to a page near the back.
I read it.
NORTHSTAR SHALL REMAIN DORMANT UNTIL BOTH BENEFICIARIES STAND TOGETHER AND IDENTIFY THE ORIGINAL HOLDER OF THE LEDGER.
I looked at Sarah.
Then at Brandon.
“The original holder.”
Sarah whispered:
“I don't have it.”
Brandon shook his head.
“You do.”
She stared.
“No.”
“Yes.”
He pointed toward her necklace.
Sarah instinctively touched it.
The necklace was simple.
A small silver pendant.
She had worn it the entire time.
Daniel stepped closer.
“Sarah.”
She pulled the pendant from beneath her shirt.
There was a tiny seam.
Brandon whispered:
“Open it.”
Sarah's hands shook.
She twisted the pendant.
It clicked.
A miniature key fell into her palm.
Everyone froze.
I looked at the key.
A number was engraved on it.
47.
The same number from the ledger.
The same number that had appeared everywhere.
Victor suddenly moved.
“Give it to me.”
Daniel blocked him.
Victor raised the gun.
“Move.”
Daniel didn't.
Victor's finger tightened.
Then a gunshot exploded through the tunnel.
Sarah screamed.
Daniel collapsed against the wall.
I dropped to my knees beside him.
Blood spread across his shirt.
“Daniel!”
He looked at me.
“I'm okay.”
He wasn't.
Brandon pulled Sarah behind him.
Paul moved toward Victor.
Victor stepped backward.
Then another figure appeared behind him.
Caroline.
She held a second gun.
“Victor.”
He turned.
Caroline looked at Sarah.
Then at me.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m sorry.”
May you like
She raised the weapon.
And pointed it directly at my mother.
