Chapter 12: The Billionaire's Final Bargain
Richard's men surrounded the cemetery.
Marcus positioned himself in front of Nathaniel and me.
"Nobody moves," he ordered.
Richard sighed.
"Must we turn this into a spectacle?""
Nathaniel stepped forward.
"You don't get to give orders anymore.""
Richard smiled.
"Actually, Nathaniel, I still own more of this family than you realize.""
He handed the trust document to one of his men.
"Show him.""
The man opened a leather folder and removed several financial records.
Nathaniel scanned them.
His expression changed.
"What is this?""
Richard adjusted his cufflinks.
"The Callaway Group has been operating under a temporary ownership arrangement since my supposed death.""
Nathaniel looked up.
"Temporary?""
"Your board believed you were the sole heir. But the original trust contains a clause that transfers voting control to the biological children of James Mercer.""
Nathaniel stared at him.
"That's impossible. I own the majority of the company.""
"You own what I allowed you to own.""
Richard pointed toward the papers.
"Your shares were transferred into a holding company three months before my death.""
Nathaniel's jaw tightened.
"Who controls it?""
Richard smiled.
"I do.""
I looked at the document.
Three signatures were required.
One from each child.
But there was another clause.
The final paragraph stated that if any heir refused to sign, the entire trust would remain frozen.
"Why would James agree to this?"" I asked.
Richard looked at me.
"Because he wants his children reunited.""
"Then why is he hiding?""
Richard's expression hardened.
"Because he knows what happens when people challenge me.""
Thomas stepped forward.
"You've spent thirty years pretending James was dead.""
Richard turned toward him.
"Thomas Carter. Still making yourself useful to women who don't want you?""
Thomas clenched his jaw.
"You kept Grace imprisoned.""
"I protected her.""
"You destroyed her life!""
Richard laughed.
"Grace made her own decisions.""
I couldn't listen anymore.
"Stop talking about my mother like she's a possession!""
Richard studied me.
"You have her temper.""
"And you have no conscience.""
For the first time, his smile disappeared completely.
He turned to one of his men.
"Bring the car.""
Nathaniel moved in front of me.
"You're not taking her.""
Richard looked at his son.
"Do you remember your tenth birthday?""
Nathaniel frowned.
"What?""
"You wanted a bicycle. Your mother bought you a blue one. I told her it was too cheap for a Callaway child.""
Nathaniel said nothing.
"I made her return it. Do you know why?""
"Because you were cruel?""
"Because I wanted you to understand that everything you had came from me.""
Nathaniel shook his head.
"You made me believe I was your son.""
"I raised you.""
"You lied to me.""
Richard leaned closer.
"Blood is overrated, Nathaniel. Loyalty is what matters.""
I looked at Nathaniel.
He seemed to be fighting something inside himself.
Then he stepped forward.
"Rose isn't signing anything.""
Richard sighed.
"Then your mother will pay the price.""
He signaled to one of his men.
The man opened a tablet.
A live video appeared.
My mother was sitting in a room with white walls.
Her silver hair was tied back.
Her face looked tired.
But she was alive.
"Mom!""
She turned toward the camera.
"Rose?""
I nearly collapsed.
"Mom, it's me!""
Grace pressed her hand against the screen.
"Oh, sweetheart.""
Tears streamed down my face.
"I've been looking for you.""
"I know.""
"Why didn't you come home?""
My mother closed her eyes.
"Because I couldn't.""
Richard stepped into the camera's view.
"Grace, tell your daughter what happens if she refuses.""
My mother looked at him.
Then she looked directly into the camera.
"Rose, don't sign anything.""
Richard grabbed her arm.
"Tell her!""
Grace pulled away.
"Don't let him take what belongs to you.""
Richard's face twisted.
He slapped the table beside her.
"ENOUGH!""
The video ended.
I screamed.
"Let her go!""
Richard held up the tablet.
"Your signature. That's all I need.""
Nathaniel stepped closer.
"You're not getting it.""
Richard turned toward him.
"Then perhaps you should know what happened to your biological father.""
Nathaniel froze.
Richard continued.
"James Mercer didn't disappear. He was arrested under a false identity and sent to prison. When he was released, he returned to find Grace gone and his children missing.""
Thomas looked down.
"I tried to find him.""
Richard smiled.
"Of course you did. But James wasn't the only person searching.""
He reached into his coat and removed a second photograph.
It showed James standing beside Daniel.
They were outside a bank.
On the back, someone had written:
The third heir has already betrayed his siblings.
I stared at the photograph.
"Daniel?""
Richard nodded.
"Your brother has been helping me.""
Nathaniel shook his head.
"That's a lie.""
"Is it?""
Richard showed us another document.
A signed agreement.
Daniel Mercer's signature was at the bottom.
I looked at the date.
Yesterday.
Thomas stepped forward.
"Daniel wouldn't do that.""
Richard laughed.
"Your brother is a practical man. He understands the value of money.""
I looked at the photograph again.
Then I noticed something strange.
Daniel was wearing a hospital bracelet.
The same bracelet I had seen in the original birth photograph.
But his name was different.
*JONATHAN BELL.*
I turned toward Richard.
"Why does Daniel have Margaret Bell's hospital bracelet?""
Richard's expression changed.
For the first time that night, he looked genuinely surprised.
I stepped closer.
"Daniel isn't Daniel, is he?""
Richard said nothing.
I looked at the photograph again.
Then at the trust document.
The third heir was listed as Jonathan Bell.
Not Daniel Mercer.
I suddenly understood why Margaret had been so desperate to speak to us.
Why the original records had been altered.
Why someone had threatened her.
Richard had been hiding the identity of the third child all along.
And perhaps Daniel had been hiding it too.
I looked at Richard.
"Who is Jonathan Bell?""
He slowly lowered the tablet.
Then he whispered:
"He's the only child in this family who knows what really happened.""
Nathaniel stared at him.
"Where is he?""
Richard looked toward the cemetery gate.
A black car had just arrived.
The rear door opened.
A man stepped out.
Daniel Mercer.
He walked toward us carrying a small leather briefcase.
But he wasn't alone.
A woman emerged from the other side of the vehicle.
She was wearing a hospital identification badge.
I recognized her from the photograph.
Margaret Bell.
Alive.
Daniel looked directly at me.
"Rose, don't believe anything Richard tells you.""
Richard's face hardened.
Daniel opened the briefcase.
Inside was a stack of original birth records.
Then he pulled out one final document.
A death certificate.
Not Richard's.
Not James's.
*Grace Carter's.*
Daniel looked at me.
"There's one more thing your mother never told you.""
He placed the certificate in my hands.
"The woman you've been calling Grace for the last thirty-five years isn't your biological mother.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
Daniel pointed to the name of the deceased woman.
"Your real mother died the night you were born.""
May you like
Then he looked toward Eleanor.
"And Eleanor Callaway knows exactly who gave birth to all three of us.""
