Chapter 13 - Daniel’s last letter
Elena held a yellowed envelope.
Paul looked at it as if he recognized it.
“Where did you get that?”
“My mother.”
Paul’s face changed.
“Elise?”
“She gave it to me before she died.”
Elena stepped closer.
“My father wrote this two weeks before Richard killed him.”
Paul lowered the gun slightly.
“No.”
“You never read it.”
“I read everything Daniel wrote.”
“Not this.”
Paul shook his head.
Elena opened the letter.
“My father knew you were planning revenge.”
Paul whispered, “He understood.”
“No.”
Elena unfolded the paper.
“He begged you to stop.”
Paul’s face went white.
Elena read.
Paul, if anything happens to me, do not make Elena carry our family’s anger. Vincent failed me, but I refuse to fail my daughter. Let Dominic and Isabella live their lives. Let Sophia live hers. Richard and Adrian chose what they became. Do not punish everyone for their crimes.
Paul stared at her.
Elena continued.
The only victory worth having is ending this before the next child inherits it.
Paul shook his head.
“He never sent that.”
“He did.”
“No.”
“My mother hid it because she was afraid of you.”
The words struck him harder than any weapon.
Paul whispered, “Afraid of me?”
“Yes.”
“She loved me.”
“She loved you enough to know grief was turning you into someone my father would not recognize.”
Paul looked toward the ledger.
His hand lowered.
Dominic could have rushed him.
He did not.
Elena moved closer.
“Uncle Paul.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I was trying to give him justice.”
“You were using his name.”
“I loved him.”
“I know.”
“I raised him when Evelyn couldn’t.”
“I know.”
“He was my boy.”
Elena’s voice broke.
“He was my father.”
Paul closed his eyes.
The gun fell from his hand.
Emma immediately kicked it away.
Dominic moved forward.
Paul did not resist.
He sank into a chair.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a shot exploded from the stairwell.
Paul jerked backward.
Elena screamed.
Dominic turned.
Richard Hale stood on the stairs holding Isabella’s spare weapon.
He must have broken free.
His eyes were wild.
“If that ledger leaves this building, we all die.”
Dominic moved toward him.
Richard fired again.
The bullet shattered glass.
Emma dragged Elena behind the metal housing.
Paul collapsed.
Dominic reached the stairs.
Richard fired.
Dominic ducked.
Then Isabella appeared below Richard and slammed into him.
The weapon flew across the floor.
Richard struck her.
Dominic grabbed him.
Years of betrayal concentrated into one violent second.
Dominic drove Richard into the wall.
Richard laughed through his fear.
“Your father deserved it.”
Dominic stopped.
“What?”
Richard smiled.
“He begged.”
Dominic’s hands tightened.
Isabella shouted, “Dominic.”
Richard continued.
“He knew exactly who had beaten him.”
Dominic pulled him closer.
“You killed my father.”
“Yes.”
The admission seemed to energize Richard.
“He thought that ledger made him untouchable. He thought threatening me would protect all of you.”
Dominic’s vision narrowed.
Richard smiled.
“So I poured poison into his drink and watched him understand.”
Dominic’s fist rose.
Isabella caught his arm.
“Don’t.”
Richard laughed.
“Listen to your dead sister.”
Dominic looked at her.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“He wants you to kill him.”
Dominic breathed hard.
“He murdered Dad.”
“Yes.”
“He killed Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“He nearly got Mom killed.”
“Yes.”
Dominic’s hand trembled.
Isabella whispered, “Then don’t give him the only ending he knows how to understand.”
Dominic looked at Richard.
The senator smiled.
Certain Dominic would break.
Certain violence was inevitable because Richard had spent his entire life depending on men being predictable.
Dominic slowly released him.
Richard’s smile faded.
Dominic stepped back.
Catherine Grant entered the stairwell with federal agents behind her.
Richard’s face changed completely.
Dominic looked at Catherine.
“He just confessed to killing Vincent Vance.”
Catherine held up her phone.
“I heard.”
Richard stared.
“No.”
Catherine walked closer.
“You also confessed to Daniel Price’s murder downstairs.”
Richard began struggling.
Agents restrained him.
“You can’t use this. He detained me illegally.”
Catherine smiled faintly.
“We’ll let twelve jurors discuss that.”
As Richard was dragged away, Dominic turned toward Paul.
Elena knelt beside him.
Paul was still breathing.
Barely.
He looked up at her.
“I’m sorry.”
Elena held his hand.
“I know.”
“I wasted so much time.”
She cried.
“Then don’t waste the rest.”
Paul smiled weakly.
Then looked at Dominic.
“The ledger…”
Dominic knelt.
“What?”
“Page three hundred twelve.”
“Why?”
Paul’s eyes closed briefly.
“Your father left something for you.”
His hand went limp.
Elena shouted for the medics.
Dominic opened the ledger.
Page 312 contained no criminal records.
Only a sealed envelope.
Dominic Vance.
May you like
He stared at his father’s handwriting.
Then opened it.
