Chapter 5 - The Heir Who Never ExistedCharles Cross had a brother.
Longer than he had known Evelyn.
Longer than Cross Meridian had existed.
They met at Columbia when Daniel was nineteen and Grant was a scholarship student from Pittsburgh who worked nights repairing campus security systems.
When Daniel launched his first company, Grant slept beneath a desk for three weeks because neither of them could afford an apartment near the office.
When Daniel’s mother died, Grant stood beside him at the funeral.
When Daniel married Evelyn, Grant carried the rings.
Daniel had once told reporters that if he trusted anyone with his life, it was Grant.
Now Vanessa Sinclair was bleeding on a warehouse floor, whispering that Grant had ordered her to kill Evelyn.
Daniel forced himself not to react.
Grant approached.
“What did she say?”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
Her eyelids had closed.
Paramedics moved around her.
“She passed out.”
Grant studied his face.
“Before that.”
“She said she was sorry.”
Daniel hoped the lie sounded natural.
Grant nodded.
Detective Morgan approached.
“We caught one shooter.”
“Alive?” Daniel asked.
“Yes.”
Grant’s eyes flicked toward her.
“Identification?”
“Not yet.”
Morgan looked at Daniel.
“You’re coming to the precinct.”
“I’m going to my wife.”
“You can see her after you give me your statement.”
“I can give you the statement at the hospital.”
“That isn’t how this works.”
“Tonight it is.”
Morgan stared at him.
Daniel stared back.
Finally she sighed.
“You billionaires are exhausting.”
“I’ve been told.”
He walked toward the SUV.
Grant followed.
Daniel stopped.
“I need you here.”
Grant frowned.
“To do what?”
“Coordinate with Morgan. Find the shooters.”
“You shouldn’t travel without security.”
“I’ll take Mason.”
Mason Lee, Daniel’s backup protection officer, stood nearby.
Grant hesitated.
Only for a fraction of a second.
Then nodded.
“Call me.”
“I will.”
Daniel got into the SUV.
The moment the door closed, he texted Morgan.
Do not let Grant leave. Don’t tell him why.
She looked across the warehouse at him.
Daniel subtly shook his head.
Morgan gave no visible response.
At the hospital, Evelyn was awake.
Daniel dismissed the nurse.
Closed the door.
Then locked it.
Evelyn noticed.
“What happened?”
“We got the video.”
Relief crossed her face.
“And?”
“It proves Vanessa attacked you.”
“I knew that.”
“It also proves someone was talking to her through an earpiece.”
Evelyn slowly sat straighter.
“Who?”
“She says Grant.”
Her face went blank.
“Grant Holloway?”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“Grant loves you.”
“I know.”
“He loves this family.”
“I thought so.”
Evelyn studied Daniel.
“Do you believe Vanessa?”
“I believe she believes it was him.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“No.”
Daniel handed Evelyn the recovered drive.
“The laptop was destroyed, but I pulled this before it died.”
“You shouldn’t keep it here.”
“I know.”
“Then why give it to me?”
“Because Grant would expect me to give it to him.”
Evelyn understood.
“You think he might come here.”
“If he’s guilty.”
Daniel walked to a cabinet and removed an empty prenatal vitamin bottle.
He slid the drive inside.
Then handed the bottle to Evelyn.
She almost smiled.
“Very sophisticated.”
“Best I could do.”
“Maybe being rich has made you lazy.”
Her humor broke something inside him.
Daniel leaned down and kissed her.
For several seconds neither spoke.
“I was so afraid,” he whispered.
Evelyn touched his cheek.
“So was I.”
“If we lose him—”
“We haven’t.”
“I watched Vanessa kick you.”
His voice cracked.
“I watched it on video and I couldn’t stop it.”
“Daniel.”
“I keep thinking if I’d arrived two minutes earlier—”
She pulled him closer.
“You arrived when you arrived.”
“I’m supposed to protect you.”
“You’re my husband, not a force field.”
He laughed despite himself.
Then the lights went out.
Both froze.
Emergency lighting turned the room red.
Daniel immediately moved between Evelyn and the door.
His phone showed no service.
Someone tried the handle.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Daniel grabbed the metal IV pole.
Evelyn whispered, “Very billionaire of you.”
“Quiet.”
The door opened.
A figure entered.
Daniel raised the pole.
“Daniel!”
He stopped.
His father stood there.
Charles Cross looked irritated.
“Put that ridiculous thing down.”
Daniel didn’t.
“What are you doing here?”
“Saving your life.”
Charles closed the door.
Evelyn stared at him.
Charles looked older than Daniel remembered.
His silver hair was disheveled.
His expensive suit was wrinkled.
There was dried blood near his cuff.
“Whose blood is that?” Daniel asked.
“Mine.”
Charles pulled back his sleeve.
A graze crossed his forearm.
“Someone shot at me near the loading dock.”
Evelyn looked alarmed.
“What loading dock?”
“This hospital’s.”
Daniel’s grip tightened on the IV pole.
“Why?”
“Because someone doesn’t want me speaking to either of you.”
“About Ashbury?”
Charles’s expression changed.
“So she told you.”
“Evelyn found twenty-eight million dollars.”
“Thirty-two.”
Daniel stared.
Charles lowered himself into a chair.
“Ashbury Strategic was mine.”
Evelyn’s face hardened.
“Was?”
“I created it seven years ago.”
“For what?”
“To hide money.”
Daniel gave a humorless laugh.
“At least you’re honest.”
Charles ignored him.
“Not stolen money.”
“What kind, then?”
“A contingency fund.”
“For?”
Charles looked toward the door.
“Your company.”
Daniel frowned.
“My company doesn’t need your contingency fund.”
“It did seven years ago.”
Cross Meridian had nearly collapsed seven years earlier after a failed international expansion.
Daniel remembered.
He had refused Charles’s rescue offer.
Or believed he had.
“You funded us behind my back.”
“Yes.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You had no right.”
“You would have fired twelve thousand people rather than accept my help.”
“That was my decision.”
“Those workers had families. Forgive me for being less sentimental about your pride.”
Evelyn interrupted.
“How did Ashbury become connected to the foundation?”
Charles’s expression darkened.
“That’s the question.”
“You don’t know?”
“I stopped using the company five years ago. It should have been dissolved.”
“Someone kept it alive.”
“Yes.”
“And transferred charity funds into it.”
“Yes.”
Daniel stared.
“Using my authorization and yours.”
Charles nodded.
“Who had access?”
“Three people.”
Daniel waited.
“You.”
Charles looked at Evelyn.
“Me.”
Then back at Daniel.
“And Grant Holloway.”
Daniel’s pulse changed.
Evelyn saw it.
Charles continued.
“Grant helped create Ashbury’s security architecture.”
Daniel sat slowly.
“Why?”
“Because you trusted him.”
“I still—”
He stopped himself.
Charles studied his son.
“What happened tonight?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
His father was smart enough to understand.
“Grant?”
“We don’t know.”
Charles leaned back.
“I told you.”
Daniel’s anger returned.
“Told me what?”
“Years ago. Loyalty based on gratitude becomes resentment.”
“Grant isn’t some charity case.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“You never liked him because he didn’t come from your world.”
“I didn’t like him because he watched you like a man measuring what your life should have been worth to him.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You don’t get to rewrite history because you suddenly want to play father.”
Charles’s expression hardened.
“And you don’t get to ignore danger because friendship makes you sentimental.”
Evelyn spoke softly.
“Both of you, stop.”
Silence.
She looked at Charles.
“Why were you at the hospital earlier?”
“Marcus Bell contacted me.”
Daniel froze.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“What did he say?”
“He believed someone was manipulating hospital surveillance and foundation financial records. He asked me to meet him tonight.”
“In the garage?”
Charles nodded.
“I arrived late.”
“And found him dead?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call police?”
“I did.”
Detective Morgan’s voice came from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
She held up her phone.
“Anonymous emergency call at 10:08 p.m. traced to a prepaid phone purchased by Charles Cross.”
Daniel stared at his father.
Morgan continued.
“And Grant Holloway is gone.”
“What?”
“He assaulted an officer outside the warehouse and disappeared.”
Daniel felt the room tilt.
Morgan looked at Evelyn.
“We also searched his apartment.”
“And?” Daniel asked.
She handed him a photograph.
A wall covered with images.
Daniel.
Evelyn.
Cross Meridian offices.
The foundation.
Vanessa.
Marcus Bell.
Their home.
Even ultrasound photographs of Daniel’s unborn son.
Across the center was one sentence written in black marker.
EVERYTHING HE HAS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MINE.
Daniel stared at it.
Morgan continued.
“We found passports. Cash. Weapons.”
Evelyn whispered, “Why would Grant hate Daniel?”
Charles answered.
“Because Daniel never knew who Grant’s father was.”
Daniel looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Charles’s face suddenly seemed ancient.
“Grant Holloway’s real name isn’t Holloway.”
Daniel stopped breathing.
May you like
Charles looked directly at his son.
“His father was my younger brother.”
Related Stories
