Chapter 9 - THE WRONG ENEMY
The archivist was alive.
Police found him unconscious in his garage after what appeared to be a staged robbery.
He recovered enough to confirm Laura had personally managed the shell accounts.
That testimony mattered.
But Daniel refused to believe it.
Thomas anticipated the revelation and produced letters supposedly written by Laura.
The letters claimed Evelyn had coerced her into opening accounts.
Rebecca's forensic examiner found the paper genuinely old.
The ink genuinely old.
Even Laura's handwriting appeared authentic.
Thomas had preserved evidence for decades.
"Maybe they're real," Evelyn admitted.
Maya looked at her.
"You don't know?"
"No."
That uncertainty protected Daniel from the truth.
He accused Evelyn of rewriting history again.
Then he made his boldest move.
Daniel offered to end the family war.
He proposed mediation.
Evelyn suspected a trap but attended anyway.
The meeting took place in Rebecca's conference room.
Thomas sat beside Daniel.
Marcus Hale handled most of the talking.
Daniel offered to abandon his competency claims, resign any claim to the personal estate, and publicly defend Evelyn's mental fitness.
In exchange, he wanted twenty-five percent of Mercer Urban Holdings and a permanent board seat.
Rebecca nearly laughed.
Evelyn did not.
Daniel's offer told her something.
He needed legitimate ownership.
Why?
If he believed he could seize control through forged documents, why negotiate?
Evelyn rejected the proposal.
Daniel appeared disappointed.
Thomas appeared furious.
That difference was useful.
Later, Maya suggested Daniel and Thomas might not want the same thing anymore.
Thomas wanted revenge.
Daniel wanted power.
Those goals could eventually collide.
Evelyn decided to test the theory.
She secretly sent Daniel a message.
Your father intends to control your shares through the Vale Family Partnership. Read Section 8.
Daniel did not answer.
But two hours later, Vale Systems' corporate registry showed an emergency amendment.
Daniel had removed Thomas's unilateral voting authority.
The wedge had worked.
Thomas retaliated quickly.
He leaked a photograph showing Maya entering Rebecca's office carrying the revised trust documents.
News sites framed Maya as a beneficiary influencing a wealthy older woman.
Customers stopped visiting the food truck again.
Worse, the city temporarily suspended Maya's vending permit after another anonymous complaint.
Daniel visited Maya that evening.
Alone.
"I can make all of this disappear," he said.
"What do you want?"
"The backup video."
"You already know police have it."
Daniel smiled.
"Not that one."
Maya's face changed.
Daniel leaned closer.
"The second recording. The one you haven't told Evelyn about."
Maya said nothing.
Because Daniel was right.
There was another recording.
May you like
And it captured something far more dangerous than the attack.
---
