Chapter 5 - The Trust Margaret Never Surrendered

Adrian stared at Margaret.

“You own the Vale Maritime Trust?”

She nodded.

“How?”

“Your grandfather transferred voting control to me before he died.”

“Why?”

“Because he no longer trusted your father.”

Vincent looked at the floor.

Adrian turned toward him.

“What did you do?”

Vincent answered immediately.

“I planned to sell the Baltimore terminal.”

“To whom?”

“A shell company.”

“Owned by Gabriel?”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s face hardened.

“You knew?”

“Not then.”

Margaret shook her head.

“You knew enough.”

Vincent looked at her.

“I knew Thomas was involved.”

“And you signed anyway.”

“Yes.”

Adrian looked between them.

“So Grandfather gave Mother control.”

“Yes.”

“And she disappeared.”

“Yes.”

“Meaning the trust could not be transferred.”

Margaret nodded.

“Not legally.”

Adrian understood.

“That is why Gabriel needed you found.”

“Yes.”

“And why Bianca needed me to marry her?”

Margaret hesitated.

Vincent answered.

“Marriage creates a claim if you die without issue.”

Adrian stared at him.

“Say that again.”

Vincent’s jaw tightened.

“If you married Bianca and died before changing the trust structure, she could challenge control through the family agreements.”

Silence.

Adrian looked at Margaret.

“So this whole engagement could be about ownership.”

“It could.”

“Could?”

“I do not know what Bianca wanted.”

Adrian put the recorder in his pocket.

“Then I’m going to ask her.”

Back at the estate, the ballroom was still full.

But the music had stopped.

Guests whispered.

Security lined the walls.

Bianca stood near the staircase.

Still in the red velvet gown.

Thomas beside her.

The silver-haired donor was gone.

Adrian walked in with Vincent.

The room froze.

Thomas went white.

Bianca stared at Vincent.

“You came.”

Vincent looked at her.

“You knew I would.”

Adrian stopped in front of Bianca.

“Where is Gabriel?”

She swallowed.

“Gone.”

“You let him leave?”

“No.”

“Then where?”

“He took Thomas’s car.”

Adrian looked at Thomas.

Thomas whispered:

“He threatened Bianca.”

Adrian’s expression stayed flat.

“That seems popular tonight.”

Bianca stepped closer.

“Adrian, listen to me.”

“I have been listening to everyone.”

He looked around.

“Now you answer.”

She nodded.

“Where is the ledger?”

Bianca froze.

Thomas looked at her.

Adrian noticed.

“So Father was right.”

Bianca closed her eyes.

“Yes.”

“You took it.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To keep Gabriel from getting it.”

“Where is it?”

She looked toward the chapel.

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

“You put it back?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“I burned it.”

Silence.

Vincent moved first.

“You what?”

Bianca reached into her clutch.

She removed a small flash drive.

“I burned the paper.”

Adrian looked at the drive.

“But copied it first?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the paper could be stolen.”

“And the drive cannot?”

“It is encrypted.”

“Who has the password?”

“I do.”

Thomas whispered:

“And me.”

Adrian looked at him.

Thomas lowered his eyes.

Bianca continued.

“Gabriel thought the ledger was still paper.”

“So you destroyed it.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling me.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling Father.”

“Yes.”

“Without telling Mother.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Bianca’s voice shook.

“Because every person who knew about that ledger had spent twenty years lying.”

Adrian went still.

She continued.

“I did not trust any of you.”

Vincent looked angry.

“You trusted Thomas.”

“He is my father.”

“So?”

Bianca looked at him.

“So I made the same mistake Adrian made with you.”

Silence.

Adrian watched her.

“That was not an answer.”

Bianca wiped a tear.

“My father did not know I copied it until afterward.”

Thomas looked at her.

“Bianca.”

She ignored him.

“I found the ledger six weeks ago because Vincent contacted me.”

Adrian turned toward his father.

“You contacted her?”

Vincent nodded.

“I wanted to know whether she was part of Gabriel’s plan.”

“And?”

“I still don’t know.”

Bianca laughed bitterly.

“You followed me for six weeks.”

“Yes.”

“You searched my apartment.”

“Yes.”

Adrian’s face changed.

“You searched her apartment?”

Vincent did not deny it.

Bianca opened her clutch again.

She handed Adrian an envelope.

Inside were photographs.

Vincent.

Outside Bianca’s apartment.

Outside Thomas’s office.

Outside a church.

Adrian stared.

Bianca whispered:

“Your father was not only hiding from Gabriel.”

Adrian looked up.

“What do you mean?”

She turned toward Vincent.

“Tell him why you disappeared.”

Vincent’s face became hard.

Margaret had entered the ballroom behind us.

She heard.

“Bianca.”

Bianca looked at her.

“You wanted the truth.”

Margaret stopped.

Adrian looked at his father.

“Why did you disappear?”

Vincent said nothing.

Bianca answered for him.

“Because your mother was about to turn him in.”

The ballroom became silent.

Adrian looked at Margaret.

She did not deny it.

“What did Father do?”

Margaret’s voice was quiet.

“He ordered a man killed.”

Adrian stared.

“Who?”

Margaret looked toward Thomas.

Thomas closed his eyes.

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Then answered.

“My brother.”