Chapter 16 - ETHAN'S QUESTION
Elise did not bring Ethan.
She came alone.
"Someone mailed him the documents."
Alexander's stomach dropped.
"Who?"
"No return address."
Veronica.
Maybe Charles.
Maybe somebody else.
Ethan had read enough to understand that his birth mother had been lied to.
He had asked one question.
"Did my biological family throw me away?"
"No."
"I told him that."
She was not angry at Alexander.
That almost made it harder.
"He wants to meet you."
"When?"
"Not yet."
Alexander respected that.
Elise handed him a letter Ethan wrote.
It was short.
Are you like him?
Alexander knew exactly who "him" meant.
Victor.
He wrote back:
I'm trying not to be.
Sofia added a note beneath it without asking.
I am your niece even though I'm only eight. Families are confusing. I like pizza.
She took it home.
Meanwhile, investigators uncovered another secret.
Victor's illegal child cases were not limited to Sofia and Ethan.
He had paid private investigators to pressure three former employees into silence.
One had a child.
One had an affair record.
One knew about bribed building permits.
Sterling Holdings' reputation collapsed.
Alexander authorized full disclosure.
He lost board allies.
He lost contracts.
He slept better.
Then Peter Ashford asked to speak.
In exchange for a plea deal, he confessed to Lucia's murder.
He had injected her with potassium chloride after Charles told him to "solve the problem."
Charles denied ordering murder.
Peter produced an audio file.
Charles's voice:
If she reaches Alexander, everything ends.
Peter:
What do you want me to do?
Charles:
Make sure she doesn't.
Alexander listened once.
He did not need twice.
Charles was arrested that night.
Before police took him away, he asked to see Alexander.
"I helped you at the board."
"You helped yourself."
"I told you about Ethan."
"After eleven years."
"You think turning on all of us makes you different?"
Alexander thought of Sofia on her knees.
"Yes."
"Wait until the company starts dying."
Then Hannah called.
The independent auditors found a hidden account.
Seventy-eight million dollars.
Controlled by a trust Alexander had never seen.
May you like
Named beneficiary:
Sofia Sterling.
