I slowly looked at Daniel.
His face went white.
"No."
I stared at him.
"Your firm?"
"My former firm."
"Former?"
"I left Mercer Legal eight years ago."
"But your name is Mercer."
"It was founded by my father."
Victor continued.
"Your older brother still runs it."
Daniel stood.
"This is impossible."
"Is it?"
"My brother has never worked with Vale Holdings."
Victor turned the screen.
"His firm formed all four companies."
Daniel stared at the records.
For the first time since this began, he looked genuinely shaken.
"What is your brother's name?" I asked.
"Samuel."
I remembered him.
Samuel Mercer.
Older than Daniel.
Polished.
Quiet.
He attended my mother's funeral.
He hugged me.
Told me Eleanor had been extraordinary.
My stomach turned.
Daniel took out his phone.
"Don't call him," Victor said.
Daniel stopped.
"If he's involved, we can't warn him."
Daniel looked furious.
"That's my brother."
"And Charlotte's mother is dead."
The room went silent.
Daniel slowly lowered the phone.
That decision cost him something.
I could see it.
I sat down.
"What exactly did Mom know before she died?"
Victor opened another file.
"Two days before the accident, she emailed me."
He showed me.
Victor,
I know who authorized Northlight.
I need independent proof before I move.
Do not speak to Daniel yet.
I stared at the last line.
"Why not Daniel?"
Daniel's voice was quiet.
"Because of Samuel."
Victor nodded.
"She may have suspected someone in your family."
Daniel sat down heavily.
Then I noticed the attachment icon.
"What's attached?"
Victor opened it.
A photograph.
My mother had taken it from somewhere hidden.
Samuel Mercer stood beside a black car.
Claire was next to him.
They were outside a restaurant.
Holding hands.
Daniel stared.
"I didn't know they knew each other."
Neither did I.
Victor zoomed in.
On Claire's other side stood a third person.
A man facing away from the camera.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
Something about him felt familiar.
"Who is that?"
Victor shook his head.
"I don't know."
Daniel stared longer.
Then his expression changed.
"What?"
He pointed toward the man's hand.
A gold ring.
Large black stone.
Daniel whispered,
"I've seen that ring."
"Where?"
He looked at me.
"At your mother's funeral."
My pulse jumped.
"Who wore it?"
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"Your uncle Richard."
My father's younger brother.
The man who gave the eulogy.
The man who had spent my entire life telling me the Solmere Empire would always belong to our family.
Uncle Richard answered my call on the second ring.
"Charlotte?"
His voice was warm.
Concerned.
Perfect.
"It's three in the morning. Are you all right?"
I looked at Daniel.
He shook his head slightly.
Don't reveal anything.
"I'm fine."
"Where are you?"
"The Solmere."
A pause.
Small.
But there.
"I heard there was an incident."
Of course he had.
Videos of Vanessa dragging me across the lobby had spread everywhere.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"Are you?"
Silence.
"What does that mean?"
I forced myself to breathe.
"I'm tired."
"You've had a terrible day."
"I need to see you tomorrow."
"Of course."
"At Mom's house."
Another pause.
"Why there?"
I looked toward Victor.
"Because I found something."
Daniel closed his eyes.
I had gone off script.
Richard's voice changed.
"What did you find?"
"I'd rather show you."
"Charlotte."
I let fear enter my voice.
That part wasn't acting.
"I'm scared."
His answer came instantly.
"I'm coming now."
Then he hung up.
Victor stared at me.
"What did you just do?"
"Invited him."
"To an active crime scene?"
"I didn't say we'd actually be there."
Daniel understood first.
"You wanted to see his reaction."
"Yes."
Victor cursed.
Daniel almost smiled.
"That was very Eleanor."
The compliment hurt.
Detective Brooks hated the idea.
But she used it.
Police quietly returned to Mom's house.
Unmarked cars.
Officers inside.
Cameras active.
I watched the security feed from the Solmere penthouse.
At 3:41 a.m., Richard's car entered the driveway.
Alone.
He parked.
Walked to the door.
Rang the bell.
No one answered.
He called me.
I let it ring.
Then something changed.
Richard looked around.
He walked toward the side of the house.
Not the study.
The garage.
He entered a keypad code.
The door opened.
I stared at the screen.
"How does he know that code?"
Victor said nothing.
Richard disappeared inside.
Detective Brooks' voice came through the police feed.
"Hold positions."
Two minutes passed.
Then Richard appeared in the basement hallway.
He wasn't searching randomly.
He walked directly toward my mother's wine cellar.
My stomach tightened.
"What's in there?"
Daniel asked.
"Wine."
Victor looked at me.
"Anything else?"
I thought.
Then remembered something from childhood.
Dad had renovated that basement.
He loved hidden storage.
There was a narrow maintenance corridor behind the wine racks.
I hadn't seen it in years.
Richard moved directly toward the far wall.
He pulled one rack sideways.
A concealed door appeared.
Victor whispered,
"Jesus."
Richard entered.
Police moved.
The video shook as officers crossed the house.
Then shouting.
"Police!"