Chapter 8 - The Mercer Patriarch
Charles Mercer had spent decades convincing everyone that weakness disgusted him.
Then illness made weakness his disguise.
By the time Drew and Claire returned to the hotel, Charles was waiting.
Lucy sat safely beside Richard.
Mrs. Alvarez was there too.
Unharmed.
Claire ran to Lucy.
Charles watched.
“You have my eyes,” he told the child.
Claire stepped between them.
“She has her own eyes.”
Charles smiled.
Drew entered behind her.
“Why?”
Charles looked at his son.
“Because you were throwing away everything I built.”
“For Claire?”
“For a fantasy.”
Drew’s voice dropped.
“She was my wife.”
“She made you weak.”
“No. Loving her made me human.”
Charles’s smile disappeared.
He admitted enough.
Not everything.
He had ordered surveillance.
He had arranged the brake sabotage, but claimed it was never meant to kill Drew—only frighten Evelyn.
He had manipulated Evelyn into separating Claire and Drew.
Then he had used Drew’s grief to bring him back into the company.
Claire stared at him.
“You stole five years from us.”
Charles looked almost bored.
“I preserved a dynasty.”
Then Lucy walked around Claire.
“You made my mom cry?”
Charles looked down.
Lucy frowned.
“That’s mean.”
For the first time all evening, Drew laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Charles did not.
Richard produced documents proving Charles had used Mercer subsidiaries to hide illegal transfers.
Police were already on their way.
Charles turned toward Richard.
“You betrayed me.”
Richard shook his head.
“No. I finally stopped helping you betray everyone else.”
Charles looked at Drew.
“You think they’ll follow you when this becomes public?”
Drew stepped beside Claire.
“I don’t care.”
“You will lose the company.”
“Then I lose it.”
“The Mercer name?”
“Keep it.”
Charles stared at him.
Drew took Claire’s hand.
“I already lost the thing that mattered once.”
May you like
Claire looked at their joined hands.
For the first time in five years, she didn’t pull away.
