Chapter 15 - The Betrayal in the Family Blood
"You were the one who helped them," Daniel said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy whisper. He walked rapidly toward the prison exit, Marcus trailing behind him in panic. "Emily didn't trust her brother. She trusted *you*. But she cut you out of the trust before she died."
On the other end of the line, Caroline let out a cold, bitter laugh that sounded nothing like the aunt who had held Mason when he was a toddler.
"Emily was the golden child, Daniel," Caroline murmured. "She inherited father's business, she got the Oakridge house, she married the handsome architect, and she secured a trust fund while I was left drowning in debt. When she got sick, she promised she would share it with me. Instead, she locked it away for Mason. A seven-year-old boy sitting on a fortune while I could barely pay my mortgage."
"So you brought Diane and Vanessa into our lives," Daniel said, pushing open the heavy steel doors of the prison into the blinding sunlight. "You introduced Vanessa to me at that gallery downtown. You told her every detail about Emily, about Mason's habits, about my grief!"
"Vanessa was supposed to get you to sign the conservatorship over after the wedding," Caroline hissed. "She got greedy. She and her sadistic mother enjoyed tormenting that boy too much. They got sloppy. They ruined the plan with that damn party and that collar!"
"And now?" Daniel reached his truck, unlocking it with trembling hands. "What are you doing, Caroline?"
"Diane came to me yesterday. She said the hard drive was the final piece. We're petitioning the court today for an emergency asset freeze and transfer of conservatorship. Diane promises me half if I keep Mason in my house until the hearing ends. If you make a scene at the courthouse, Daniel... if you try to take Mason right now, I will claim you threatened me. I have friends in the district attorney's office. You won't see your son for years while this drags through family court."
"If you lay one finger on him, Caroline," Daniel said, his knuckles turning pure white against the steering wheel, "there is nowhere on this earth you can hide from me."
"Don't be late to court, brother-in-law," Caroline said, and the line went dead.
Daniel threw the truck into reverse, tires screeching against the asphalt.
"Daniel, wait!" Marcus shouted, running up to the window. "You can't storm Caroline's house! That's parental kidnapping if she calls 911 claiming temporary custody! We have to go to the courthouse and present the evidence to Judge Harrison directly!"
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"Caroline doesn't know one thing," Daniel said, glaring through the windshield with eyes burning like raw fire. "Emily didn't keep all the backups on that drive."
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