Julian spent the next hour insisting the bank records were false.<\/p>\n
Vincent wanted him removed.<\/p>\n
Dominic refused.<\/p>\n
Not because he trusted Julian.<\/p>\n
Because Dominic had learned something from Ellie.<\/p>\n
When something looked wrong, don\u2019t assume.<\/p>\n
Look closer.<\/p>\n
The reversed brace had appeared legitimate until a four-year-old examined the mechanism.<\/p>\n
Maybe the bank records deserved the same attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the money?\u201d Dominic asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe account has your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSignature?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent scoffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cConvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian turned on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said I helped Arthur politically. If I wanted to lie, I would have denied everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic considered that.<\/p>\n
Julian had admitted enough to destroy their relationship.<\/p>\n
Why admit those things and deny the largest betrayal?<\/p>\n
\u201cGet a forensic accountant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDominic\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
By evening, they had an answer.<\/p>\n
The account had been opened using Julian\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n
But the authorization signature was digital.<\/p>\n
The originating device belonged to Arthur\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Julian hadn\u2019t received the money.<\/p>\n
Arthur had created evidence designed to implicate him.<\/p>\n
Dominic sat silently when Vincent delivered the result.<\/p>\n
Julian looked at his brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed I tried to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI considered the evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian looked away.<\/p>\n
Dominic didn\u2019t apologize.<\/p>\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n
Because Julian was innocent of attempted murder.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t innocent of betrayal.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still helped Arthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou helped create the opening he needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew Peter was compromised.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian\u2019s voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I\u2019ll spend the rest of my life wishing I\u2019d told you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic studied him.<\/p>\n
Their father had taught them that apologies were weakness.<\/p>\n
Dominic was beginning to suspect their father had been wrong about many things.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get your old position back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cooperate completely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when this is over, we decide what kind of relationship is left.\u201d<\/p>\n
Julian looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s more than I deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Across the mansion, Ellie was building towers from wooden blocks.<\/p>\n
The strange thing was that Dominic kept finding reasons to pass the room.<\/p>\n
At first he told himself it was security.<\/p>\n
Then curiosity.<\/p>\n
Eventually he stopped lying to himself.<\/p>\n
The child made the mansion feel less like a fortress.<\/p>\n
Clare noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can sit down, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was walking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve walked past this doorway four times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ellie giggled.<\/p>\n
Dominic almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctor says I need exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctor also said not to overdo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been talking to Mercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe cornered me in the kitchen and said somebody needs to stop you from pretending you\u2019re indestructible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic actually laughed.<\/p>\n
It surprised all three of them.<\/p>\n
Then Vincent entered.<\/p>\n
The warmth disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found the driver.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dominic stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIndiana.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man was named Raymond Pike.<\/p>\n
Former private security contractor.<\/p>\n
Arthur had paid him through three shell companies.<\/p>\n
Police took him into custody.<\/p>\n
Under questioning, Pike admitted being hired to frighten Dominic into crashing.<\/p>\n
Arthur had told him Dominic needed to be hospitalized.<\/p>\n
Not killed.<\/p>\n
But at highway speed, the distinction meant little.<\/p>\n
The conspiracy was becoming clear.<\/p>\n
Arthur wanted control.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Julian spent the next hour insisting the bank records were false. Vincent wanted him removed. Dominic refused. Not because he trusted Julian. Because Dominic had learned something from Ellie. When something looked wrong, don\u2019t assume. Look closer. The reversed brace had appeared legitimate until a four-year-old examined the mechanism. Maybe the bank records deserved the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-411","sr_chapter","type-sr_chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter\/411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/sr_chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/sr_chapter\/411\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/fantatv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}