Chapter 12 - Evelyn Vale’s Final Mistake
Adrian moved in front of Lily before Evelyn finished speaking.
Evelyn noticed.
“Predictable.”
Grace whispered, “Stay behind me.”
Lily obeyed.
Celeste stared at her mother.
“You knew Damian kidnapped her?”
“Damian has always been impulsive.”
“You let him.”
“I allowed him to reveal himself.”
Damian was already in police custody.
Victor was under guard.
Samuel was cooperating.
Elias was hospitalized.
One by one, everyone Evelyn had used was falling.
Yet she stood calmly in the chapel.
Adrian understood why.
She believed she still controlled the ending.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“The microfilm.”
Michael laughed.
“You’re late.”
“Am I?”
Evelyn looked toward Samuel.
“Your attorney has already informed the bank that the original trust is disputed.”
Samuel frowned.
“How do you know?”
“Because my attorneys received notice.”
Adrian looked at Celeste.
“What happens if the trust is frozen?”
Celeste stared at her mother.
“Nothing moves.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Precisely.”
Michael stepped forward.
“So this is about money.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s expression became colder.
“It’s about survival.”
Adrian had heard that argument before.
Victor protected the company.
Damian protected his family.
Samuel protected Adrian.
Michael protected Lily.
Everyone had used the word protection to excuse deception.
“What are you surviving?” Adrian asked.
Evelyn looked at him.
“Men like your grandfather built empires with promises they never intended to honor.”
“Meaning?”
“My husband spent his life making the Moretti family richer.”
“By stealing from us.”
“By making money you were too privileged to understand.”
Celeste whispered, “Mom, stop.”
Evelyn ignored her.
“When Charles died, I inherited his obligations.”
Michael said, “And his crimes.”
“I inherited debts.”
“To whom?”
Evelyn finally hesitated.
Adrian saw it.
There was someone beyond her.
Someone she feared.
“Who financed Henry and Charles?”
Evelyn smiled again.
“That no longer matters.”
“It matters to you.”
Silence.
Michael stepped closer.
“You’re still paying someone.”
Evelyn’s calm expression cracked.
Only slightly.
But Lily saw it.
Lily whispered, “She’s scared.”
Everyone looked at the child.
Evelyn’s face hardened.
Lily continued.
“Her hand is shaking.”
Evelyn immediately tightened her fingers around her handbag.
Adrian noticed.
The child was right.
“Who are you afraid of, Evelyn?”
“Enough.”
One of her men raised his gun.
Celeste stepped in front of Adrian.
“Mom.”
Evelyn stared.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Celeste.”
“You used me.”
“I protected you.”
“You pushed me toward Adrian because you wanted access.”
“I gave you a future.”
“You gave me a role.”
Celeste removed the pearl necklace her mother had given her years earlier.
She placed it on a pew.
“I’m done playing it.”
Evelyn’s jaw tightened.
“You think he’ll forgive you?”
Celeste looked at Adrian.
“No.”
Adrian was surprised.
Celeste continued.
“He shouldn’t.”
Then she faced her mother.
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll help you hurt him.”
Evelyn raised her hand.
Her guard stepped forward.
Vincent fired first.
The chapel exploded into chaos.
Adrian pulled Lily behind the stone altar.
Michael tackled one gunman.
Grace and Celeste crouched beside Lily.
Victor, escorted outside by police, had secretly called Detective Cole when Evelyn arrived.
Sirens appeared in the distance.
Evelyn heard them.
Her face changed.
She ran toward the side door.
Adrian followed.
They entered the graveyard behind the chapel.
Rain had finally stopped.
Evelyn moved surprisingly fast.
Adrian caught her near the Moretti family mausoleum.
She turned with a small pistol.
“Don’t.”
Adrian stopped.
“You won’t shoot.”
“I ordered your glass poisoned.”
“From a distance.”
Her hand shook.
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough.”
Evelyn raised the pistol higher.
Then Lily’s voice came from behind Adrian.
“Mrs. Vale?”
Adrian turned sharply.
“Lily, stay back!”
The child had followed Grace only a few steps outside.
Evelyn looked toward her.
The weapon shifted.
Adrian moved.
He grabbed Evelyn’s wrist.
The gun fired into the air.
They struggled.
Michael reached them and kicked the weapon away.
Vincent restrained Evelyn.
Detective Cole arrived seconds later.
Evelyn stopped fighting.
Cole cuffed her.
As she was led away, Evelyn looked at Celeste.
“You’ll regret choosing them.”
Celeste’s eyes filled.
“No.”
She looked at Lily.
“I regret choosing you for so long.”
Evelyn smiled faintly.
“You still don’t understand.”
Cole stopped.
“What?”
Evelyn looked at Adrian.
“The trust is meaningless.”
Adrian frowned.
“Why?”
“Because the money is already gone.”
Michael stared.
“What?”
Evelyn laughed.
“Eight hundred million dollars.”
Victor shouted from the police vehicle.
“Impossible.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“You never were good with numbers, Victor.”
Cole pushed her toward the car.
Adrian said, “Where did it go?”
Evelyn looked over her shoulder.
“To the person your family should have feared from the beginning.”
Then she entered the vehicle.
Adrian turned to Michael.
“Who?”
Michael had gone pale.
“I think I know.”
“Who?”
Michael looked toward the family mausoleum.
“Our grandfather had another son.”
Adrian stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“No.”
Michael swallowed.
“He was illegitimate.”
Victor began shouting from the police car.
“Don’t say his name!”
Every person in the graveyard turned.
Victor struggled against the door.
“Michael!”
Michael whispered the name anyway.
“Alexander Crane.”
Victor’s face collapsed.
Adrian asked, “Who is Alexander Crane?”
Victor stopped fighting.
May you like
Then answered through the open window.
“The man who has spent thirty years waiting to own everything with the Moretti name.”
