Chapter 6 - The Billionaire’s Last Signature
By sunrise, Jason’s mansion had become a command center.
Rachel and her legal team worked from the dining room.
Paulie and Jaden coordinated security.
Benita organized Stephanie’s evidence by timeline.
Lucas sat alone.
Nobody trusted him enough to give him a task.
Jason noticed.
He rolled over.
“You want to help?”
Lucas looked up.
“After everything?”
“I didn’t ask whether you deserve forgiveness.”
Jason held his gaze.
“I asked whether you want to help Evelyn.”
Lucas stood.
“Yes.”
“Then tell me everything Victor doesn’t know you know.”
Lucas thought.
“There’s a private office.”
“Where?”
“Victor changes locations.”
“That doesn’t help.”
Lucas frowned.
“Evelyn might know.”
Jason looked toward him.
“How?”
“She followed me once.”
“When?”
“About eight months ago.”
“Where?”
Lucas described an industrial property outside the city.
Jaden immediately searched ownership records.
The property belonged to a logistics company.
Rachel checked Stephanie’s files.
The same company appeared fourteen times.
Jason looked at Jaden.
“Find Evelyn.”
But Jason couldn’t simply send men storming into a building based on suspicion.
Instead, they passed the location to a trusted investigative contact Rachel had verified outside Victor’s network.
Meanwhile, Victor’s documents arrived.
Rachel examined them.
“They’re sophisticated.”
Jason smiled.
“So are you.”
For the first time all night, Rachel smiled.
They created their counterattack.
Jason would appear to accept Victor’s agreement.
But attached to the execution would be certifications requiring Victor’s holding companies to disclose beneficial ownership.
Victor would never willingly sign them.
Unless he believed Jason had surrendered.
The meeting was scheduled for noon.
Victor chose a luxury conference suite downtown.
Jason arrived in his wheelchair.
Lucas came with him.
Victor looked surprised.
“You brought your brother?”
Jason nodded.
“He created this problem. He can watch me solve it.”
Victor smiled.
He was elegant, silver-haired, calm.
Nothing about him looked threatening.
That was his greatest weapon.
“You look tired, Jason.”
“I’ve had a difficult week.”
Victor sat.
“Then let’s make it easier.”
Documents covered the table.
Jason glanced around.
“Evelyn.”
“After signatures.”
“Proof first.”
Victor showed a live video feed.
Evelyn was sitting in a room.
She appeared unharmed.
Jason controlled his anger.
“Let her speak.”
Victor pressed a button.
“Aunt Evelyn?”
She looked toward the camera.
“Jason?”
“I’m here.”
“Don’t give him anything.”
Victor ended the feed.
Jason stared at him.
Victor smiled.
“She has always been stubborn.”
Jason opened the contract.
He read slowly.
Victor became impatient.
“You have lawyers for that.”
“I built an empire by reading what people wanted me not to read.”
Victor’s smile faded slightly.
Jason reached the signature page.
Then stopped.
“One amendment.”
Victor frowned.
“What amendment?”
“Mutual release.”
Rachel slid the additional papers forward.
“If Jason transfers control, your companies release all historical claims.”
Victor glanced through the pages.
Routine language.
Or so it appeared.
His attorney reviewed them.
The beneficial ownership disclosure was buried inside a compliance certification required to make the release effective.
Victor’s attorney whispered to him.
Victor nodded.
“Fine.”
Jason signed.
Lucas stared at him.
Victor signed.
Then his attorney signed.
Rachel collected the documents.
Victor smiled.
“Congratulations.”
Jason looked at him.
“For what?”
“Freedom.”
Jason smiled.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Victor’s phone rang.
His expression changed.
Then another phone rang.
His attorney answered.
The man went pale.
Victor stood.
“What happened?”
Jason remained seated.
Victor looked at him.
“What did you do?”
Rachel opened her briefcase.
“You just certified beneficial ownership of seventeen entities currently under financial investigation.”
Victor stared.
His attorney frantically flipped through the amendment.
“No.”
Rachel smiled.
“Yes.”
Victor turned toward Jason.
“You think paperwork saves you?”
“No.”
Jason’s expression hardened.
“Evidence does.”
Victor stepped closer.
“Where is Stephanie’s drive?”
“Somewhere you’ll never reach.”
Victor’s calm disappeared.
“You have no idea what you’ve done.”
Jason looked up.
“I finally do.”
Victor’s phone rang again.
This time he answered.
Whatever he heard destroyed his expression.
He looked toward Lucas.
Then Jason.
The industrial property had been found.
And Evelyn had been recovered alive.
Victor backed away from the table.
Jason spoke.
“It’s over.”
Victor stared at him.
“You think I built all of this without insurance?”
Jason’s smile disappeared.
Victor straightened his jacket.
“There is one file Stephanie never found.”
Jason felt a chill.
Victor leaned closer.
“A file that proves someone you trust was involved before Lucas ever came to me.”
Jason stared.
Victor smiled again.
“You’ve been looking for the traitor standing beside you.”
He glanced toward Lucas.
“You should have been looking behind your wheelchair.”
Jason slowly turned.
Benita stood there.
Her face went pale.
Victor laughed.
And before Jason could ask a single question, Benita whispered:
May you like
“Jason… there’s something I should have told you years ago.”
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