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He looks away and shakes his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I sit down opposite him and entwine my fingers as I stare him down. “I’m not the little boy you betrayed anymore,” I tell him, my voice soft. “In the time you’ve been gone, I built Sinclair Security. It’s one of the biggest security firms in the world, covering everything from private investigation, bodyguard services and even cybersecurity. Turns out I wasn’t the only one that’s been looking for you,” I bluff. “I wonder how much money I stand to make if I hand you over.”
His eyes widen, true fear finally filling his eyes. “You can’t do that to me, Silas. They’ll kill me.”
“I know.” I glance at my hands and lean back in my seat. “To be honest, I don’t need the money Mona and you took from me. It took some time, but I’ve got enough of my own. What I want is the truth. Why did you forge my father’s will? How did you do it?”
He rocks back and forth in his chair, contemplating his next move. “If I tell you, I want protection. I want the bodyguard services your firm offers in exchange for the full truth.”
I nod. “Very well. That’s easy enough. Talk.”
“I want it in writing.”
I rise from my seat and chuckle. “You’re insane if you think I’m going to wait for my lawyers to draw up a contract. I don’t have time for that. This is a take it or leave it deal. Either you talk right now, or I’m handing you over to someone who’ll make you. What is it going to be?”
He grits his teeth and nods, his expression haunted. I have no idea who is after him, but fear has always been a strong motivator.
“It was all Mona’s idea. She offered to pay me a ten percent cut of the entire estate if I forged your father’s will and left everything to her.”
I nod and sit down at the table, wondering what Ryan must be feeling right now, if he even believes Michael at all. He’s been making excuses for his mother all his life.
“What was in the original will?”
“75% went to you to account for your mother’s stake in the business, and the other 25% went to Ryan. Mona didn’t get anything. She was worried about it mostly because the will determined that you would hold Ryan’s share too, until he turned 25. She’d be left with nothing and no access to any funds, either.”
I nod, my thoughts reeling. “My father died unexpectedly, yet it was ruled to be a natural death. She had him cremated as soon as she possibly could to prevent me from doing a second autopsy. Did she have anything to do with my father’s death?”
Michael shakes his head. “I don’t know. All I know is that he’d asked me to start divorce proceedings, and a few weeks later, he was dead. If she did do it, I wasn’t involved.”
I run a hand through my hair and look up at the ceiling. I can’t prove that she killed him, but I’m certain she did. “Okay,” I tell him. “Thank you for your time. My men will see you out.”
“What about my bodyguard services?”
I frown at him. “What are you talking about?”
“S-silas, you promised me. If you could find me this easily, they will too.”
“You can’t outrun your bad deeds, Michael. You’ll pay for what you’ve done, and I won’t even need to dirty my hands.”
“You lied to me.”
I rise to my feet and smile at him. “Isn’t that exactly what you once did to me?”
I walk away without looking back, not a single ounce of remorse nagging at my conscience. He deserves whatever it is that’s coming for him.
“Did you hear that?” I ask Ryan.
He’s staring at the window, his face as white as a sheet. “How much did you pay him to say all of that?”
My heart sinks and I look away. “Ryan, if after all this, you still can’t see the truth, then you truly are a lost cause.”
He looks at me, his eyes flashing with anger. “I’m not retracting my offer. I’m still going after Alanna if you don’t give me what I’m owed. You’ve got three days left, Silas. Make them count.”
I stare at him in disbelief as he walks out of the room, my heart sinking as I think back to the little boy who cried his heart out at our father’s funeral. It’s that image of him that made me weak, and it’s that same image that’s now going to cost me everything.
ChapterSeventy-Six
Alanna
