Chapter 7
Eleanor believed taking the handbag had saved her.
She was wrong.
Before leaving the storage facility, Daniel had scanned every page and delivered copies to police.
The original recorder was already in an evidence vault.
For the first time, Eleanor had made a mistake because she underestimated the people around me.
Police tracked her vehicle toward Amelia’s lake property.
Grant refused to cooperate.
He demanded immunity.
Prosecutors refused.
Then he learned about the attempted hotel fire.
“She’s cleaning up loose ends,” he said.
He understood that he was one of them.
Grant began talking.
He confessed to stealing from the Blackwood family with Eleanor.
He admitted bribing the mechanic to damage Amelia’s brakes.
He insisted Eleanor ordered it.
“It was supposed to frighten Amelia,” he said. “Not kill her.”
Nobody believed him.
He also revealed Eleanor’s final plan.
She intended to destroy the original ownership records at the lake chapel, transfer the company’s remaining liquid funds overseas, and disappear.
But she needed Leo.
Amelia’s second trust required his fingerprint and voice authorization before certain family shares could be transferred.
That was why Eleanor tried to declare him incapable.
If Leo could not legally act, she could act as guardian.
When that failed, she decided to force him.
Police placed us in a protected home.
Leo remained beside me constantly.
He no longer flinched when I touched his shoulder, but he checked every lock before sleeping.
Maya woke from nightmares about the hotel fire.
None of us felt safe.
The following morning, a package arrived through a courier who used false identification.
Inside was Leo’s school tie.
A photograph showed his best friend, Noah, tied to a chair inside the lake chapel.
Eleanor called seconds later.
“Bring Leo to the lake.”
“You will not touch my son.”
“Then Noah dies because Leo was too selfish to help him.”
Leo overheard.
His face went white.
“I’ll go.”
“No.”
“Noah helped me tell my teacher about Eleanor. She found out because of me.”
“This is not your fault.”
“It won’t feel that way if she hurts him.”
I took the phone into another room.
“Release Noah and take me.”
“You’re useless now, Julian. Leo owns what I need.”
The line went dead.
Police planned a rescue.
They placed a tracker beneath Leo’s clothing and surrounded the property before we approached.
Maya insisted on coming.
“I know Eleanor’s habits,” she said. “I know how she thinks.”
I wanted her far from danger.
Then I remembered what she told me about gratitude becoming control.
“You stay beside the police commander,” I said.
“No promises.”
We reached the lake at dusk.
The chapel stood beyond the frozen garden.
I walked toward it with Leo holding my hand.
“You remain behind me,” I whispered.
“We do this together.”
His voice shook, but he kept moving.
Eleanor opened the chapel door.
She wore black and held a pistol.
Noah sat near the altar with his wrists tied.
“Come inside.”
I stepped forward.
“Leo stays here until you release Noah.”
Eleanor pressed the gun against Noah’s shoulder.
Leo pulled away from me.
“I’ll do it.”
“Leo—”
“She wants my fingerprint. Let her have it.”
Eleanor smiled.
“He has more courage than you.”
My son entered the chapel.
I followed despite her warning.
On the altar sat a laptop connected to a biometric scanner.
Eleanor placed Leo’s hand over it.
“Read the statement on the screen.”
He looked at the words.
“I, Leo Blackwood, voluntarily transfer—”
His voice stopped.
“Keep reading.”
“No.”
Eleanor pushed the pistol against his back.
My vision darkened.
“Do not touch him.”
“Then encourage him.”
I looked at Leo.
He was terrified.
But beneath the fear was a plan.
His right hand remained on the scanner.
His left hand slowly reached into his pocket.
He removed Amelia’s stuffed lion.
“I want my mother with me.”
Eleanor laughed.
“Pathetic.”
She did not know police had placed a microphone inside it.
Leo set the toy beside the laptop.
“Why did you kill her?”
Eleanor’s expression changed.
“What?”
“My mother.”
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“You were there when her car crashed.”
Eleanor looked at me.
“You filled his head with that?”
“The mechanic identified you,” I said.
“He was paid to frighten her.”
“So you admit you hired him.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You said enough.”
Her gaze dropped toward the stuffed lion.
She saw the new stitching.
Her face twisted.
She grabbed it and tore the microphone out.
Then she fired at the ceiling.
Police stormed the chapel.
Eleanor seized Leo around the neck and dragged him through a side door.
I ran after them.
They reached the frozen lake.
“Stop!” I shouted.
Eleanor stepped onto the ice with Leo.
Cracks spread beneath their feet.
Police could not fire without risking him.
“You ruined everything!” she screamed at me.
“I finally saw you.”
“No. You saw what that servant wanted you to see.”
Maya appeared near the shoreline.
Eleanor aimed at her.
The ice broke.
Leo fell through.
I ran onto the lake.
Eleanor dropped the pistol and crawled away.
I reached the hole and plunged both arms into the freezing water.
For one terrible second, I found nothing.
Then Leo’s hand gripped mine.
I pulled until my shoulders burned.
Maya crawled beside me and seized his coat.
Together, we dragged him onto the ice.
Police pulled all three of us toward shore.
Leo coughed and opened his eyes.
“Dad?”
“I’m here.”
Officers surrounded Eleanor.
She remained on her knees, soaked and shaking.
Maya stood between her and Leo.
Eleanor stared at us with hatred.
“You are still just a servant.”
May you like
Maya lifted her chin.
“And you are under arrest.”
