“You’ll have one.”
Linda started crying.
It looked remarkably convincing.
Maybe some habits never die.
Nathan pointed at me.
“She set me up.”
I stared at him.
“No.”
He shook with rage.
“You brought agents here.”
“No.”
“You played recordings.”
“Yes.”
“You ambushed me.”
“No.”
My voice remained calm.
“You called me.”
The words landed harder than shouting could have.
“You left the line open.”
Police moved closer.
“You made the documents.”
Another step.
“You lied about your name.”
Another.
“You brought your wife to my engagement dinner and made me call her Mom.”
Laughter broke somewhere in the back of the room.
Nathan’s face flushed.
“You searched my daughters’ room.”
I pointed toward the screen.
“You targeted my family because you believed my dead sister left evidence behind.”
Nathan’s eyes burned.
“Everything that happened today began with choices you made.”
The officer reached for his wrists.
Then Nathan said something strange.
“You still don’t understand.”
I was exhausted by that sentence.
“Then explain it.”
He laughed softly.
“You weren’t the target.”
My stomach tightened.
Linda’s face went blank.
Nathan continued.
“You were never the target.”
Alvarez said, “Stop talking.”
Nathan ignored him.
He looked at Grace and Lily.
“They were.”
My daughters froze.
I whispered, “What?”
Nathan smiled.
“Melissa’s daughters.”
Everything inside me turned cold.
“The trust,” he said. “You thought this was about your little consulting savings?”
Linda shouted, “Shut up!”
He laughed.
Now he seemed almost euphoric.
Like destruction freed him from pretending.
“She never told you, did she?”
I stared at him.
“Told me what?”
Nathan’s eyes moved toward Rebecca.
“You’re the family lawyer. Surely you know.”
Rebecca frowned.
“Know what?”
His smile grew.
“Oh, this is beautiful.”
Alvarez placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nathan twisted away.
“Ask her!”
“Ask who?”
“Melissa.”
My heart stopped.
“She’s dead.”
Nathan stared at me.
Then he said:
“Not everything she owned was.”
The officer handcuffed him.
But the damage was done.
I looked at Rebecca.
“What is he talking about?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
