Chapter 14 - SUSAN
Susan Park had worked for my family for twenty-two years.
She planned weddings.
Funerals.
Board dinners.
Every birthday since I was eighteen.
She knew where everyone stood because positioning people was literally her job.
Mara found her in the pantry calmly packing food into containers.
"Susan, step away from the counter."
She did.
No panic.
No confusion.
Just tired eyes.
"I wondered when you'd get here."
Mara searched her office.
Inside a locked cabinet were copies of North Crown records, Adrian's investigation notes, and photographs of my father meeting secretly with Owen Kane years earlier.
"You forged Grant's name," Mara said.
Susan nodded.
"Yes."
Grant stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because I needed Julian to believe North Crown belonged to you."
"Why?"
"So he'd keep digging in the wrong direction."
I felt cold.
"Who controls it?"
Susan looked at me.
"I do."
Nobody spoke.
For decades, everyone treated her as invisible. That gave her access to everything.
Passwords, calendars, signatures, family fights.
My father used her to move money through North Crown.
When he died, she kept the network.
"Why kill Adrian?" I asked.
Her composure cracked.
"I didn't tell Owen to kill him."
"But you sent Owen."
"To take the ledger."
"And tonight?"
She looked toward the safe room where Noah slept.
"Tonight was supposed to end differently."
"You dropped a crystal tower on my son."
"No."
Her voice sharpened.
"Owen was told to sabotage the tower after Noah moved."
Mara frowned.
"Moved by who?"
Susan looked at Elena.
"Her."
Elena went pale.
"What are you talking about?"
Susan said, "You were supposed to take Noah to the kitchen at 8:40."
Elena stared at her.
"You changed his dessert order."
"Yes."
"I never received the message."
Susan's face changed.
May you like
For the first time, she looked afraid.
"Then Owen changed the plan."
