Chapter 12 - Vivian’s Version
Vivian requested a meeting with Ethan.
Her criminal attorney attended.
So did Naomi.
Claire refused to go.
“I don’t want to hear her explain why chaining me was necessary.”
Ethan understood.
The meeting took place at Vivian’s Manhattan townhouse.
She looked smaller without boardrooms and assistants around her.
But not weaker.
“I never intended to hurt Ava,” she said.
Ethan answered, “You stood over her while Claire was chained.”
“I was trying to retrieve the blanket.”
“That is not better.”
Vivian’s attorney interrupted.
“My client is not discussing the pending criminal allegations.”
Vivian waved him off.
“I will discuss my family.”
Ethan leaned back.
“Then tell me why.”
She looked at him.
“Because Samuel’s trust was dangerous.”
“Grandfather wanted power dispersed.”
“Your grandfather enjoyed writing elegant solutions to problems he never had to live through.”
“He didn’t trust concentrated control.”
“He didn’t trust me.”
“Maybe he had reasons.”
Pain flashed across Vivian’s face.
It was the first time Ethan saw her as a daughter instead of a matriarch.
“He thought women managed family money emotionally.”
Ethan paused.
That was new.
Vivian continued.
“When Thomas and I married, Samuel excluded me from every substantive decision. Then after thirty years of cleaning up men’s mistakes, he wrote a trust that could remove my voting power because a baby crossed midnight.”
Understanding was not absolution.
But it was motive.
“You falsified the time.”
Vivian’s face closed.
“I relied on the official record.”
“You knew Ava was born before midnight.”
“I knew there was confusion.”
“Julian knew.”
“Julian signed a notification.”
“Martin knew.”
Her attorney said, “Vivian.”
She ignored him.
“Martin believed the electronic record could control.”
“Because you asked him to make it control.”
Silence.
Ethan continued.
“You went to my house because Claire found the original.”
“Yes.”
“You brought restraints.”
Vivian’s attorney stood.
“This meeting is over.”
Ethan did not move.
“Why?”
Vivian’s composure cracked.
“Because she was leaving.”
Claire had said she was not.
“Where?”
“Vivian.”
Her attorney repeated the warning.
She continued anyway.
“Martin told me Claire had contacted NorthStar. I thought she was preparing to take Ava and use the descendant shares to bargain with the buyer.”
Ethan stared.
“You thought Claire was stealing control.”
“Yes.”
“So you chained her?”
“I needed ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?”
“To find the document.”
“You could have called me.”
“You would have sided with her.”
“Yes.”
Vivian flinched.
The certainty mattered.
Ethan said, “That is what husbands are supposed to do when their mothers bring chains.”
Vivian looked away.
For once, she had nothing.
Then Ethan asked about Paul Renner.
Her attorney immediately intervened.
“No.”
Ethan looked at Vivian.
“Did you tell Renner to change the time?”
Her face became unreadable.
“Ask Martin.”
Ethan frowned.
“Why Martin?”
“Because Martin panicked.”
That was not the answer Ethan expected.
Vivian continued before her attorney could stop her.
“I told him to find out what the trust required. I did not tell him to alter a medical chart.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
She smiled sadly.
“You stopped believing me the moment you opened the blanket.”
Ethan thought of the brass key.
“No. I stopped believing you when I saw Claire chained.”
Vivian’s eyes filled unexpectedly.
Then she looked away before tears could fall.
As Ethan left, she called after him.
“Julian thinks I did all of this for him.”
Ethan turned.
“Didn’t you?”
“No.”
“Then for whom?”
Vivian looked toward a portrait of Thomas.
“For the company.”
Ethan almost laughed.
Every Mercer crime eventually wore that disguise.
Outside, Naomi said, “She may be telling the truth about Renner.”
“Why?”
“Because the messages we’ve seen tell Martin to ‘check hospital keepsakes.’ They don’t show Vivian ordering an edit.”
“Martin may have acted alone?”
“Or Julian.”
Ethan’s phone rang.
Rebecca.
“We found a payment.”
“To Renner?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“One hundred fifty thousand dollars.”
“From Vivian?”
Rebecca paused.
“No.”
“Martin?”
“No.”
May you like
Ethan felt the next betrayal before she said the name.
“The money came from Julian’s Opportunity Fund.”
