Chapter 15 - The Daughter Robert Raised
Robert insisted he knew where Rebecca had gone.
The old Mercer boathouse.
James and Robert had purchased it together before the company became wealthy.
Nathan drove with Robert while state police coordinated separately.
The boathouse stood on a rocky inlet outside Newport.
Rebecca’s car was parked outside.
Robert started toward the door.
Nathan stopped him.
“Police first.”
Robert looked at him.
“You ignored that advice at the warehouse.”
“And almost got Bianca killed.”
The admission surprised them both.
Nathan had finally learned something.
Officers entered.
Rebecca was alone.
No weapon.
No attempt to run.
She sat at a wooden table surrounded by files.
When Nathan entered, she smiled.
“Took you long enough.”
Robert looked shattered.
“Rebecca.”
“Dad.”
“Why?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Please don’t ask that like you don’t know.”
“I don’t.”
“You spent my entire childhood telling me Uncle James took what was yours.”
Robert shook his head.
“I told you we built it together.”
“You told Mom at dinner. You told lawyers. You told anyone who would listen that James became the hero because he controlled the story.”
“That was anger.”
“That was my childhood.”
Nathan remained silent.
Rebecca looked at him.
“And then there was Prince Nathan.”
“Don’t.”
“No, hear it. Your father dies, and everyone reorganizes their life around protecting your inheritance.”
Nathan said, “I was nineteen.”
“And I was sixteen.”
That stopped him.
Rebecca continued.
“My father ran the company while you went to college. Then you came back and everyone acted like the throne had been waiting.”
Robert said, “You became deputy general counsel.”
Rebecca laughed.
“Exactly. Close enough to clean up the king’s mess.”
Nathan felt anger.
“You framed Bianca’s nanny. You threatened Sofia’s family.”
“I didn’t frame Sofia.”
“You built the machine that did.”
Rebecca’s face hardened.
“I told Cole to create pressure. Bianca chose her methods.”
“Convenient distinction.”
“Accurate distinction.”
Robert stepped closer.
“You used me.”
Rebecca’s eyes filled.
“You used me first.”
His face collapsed.
“How?”
“You put the fund in my hands and told me to ‘think like a Mercer.’”
Robert whispered, “I meant protect value.”
“I did.”
“You committed fraud.”
“So did Uncle James.”
Nathan snapped, “Stop using dead men to excuse living choices.”
Rebecca stared at him.
For the first time, she looked uncertain.
Nathan continued.
“Your grandfather’s generation lied. My father concealed things. Robert paid Laura. Elliot stole. Samuel Pike stole. Julian blackmailed. Bianca manipulated my daughter. Cole weaponized everyone.”
He stepped closer.
“And you decided the lesson was not to stop.”
Rebecca’s eyes hardened again.
“The lesson was that the person controlling the documents wins.”
“No.”
Nathan pointed toward the police outside.
“The lesson is that documents eventually get read.”
Rebecca looked toward Robert.
“You’ll still protect him.”
Nathan glanced at his uncle.
“No.”
Robert looked at him.
Nathan continued.
“If he concealed evidence or paid for silence illegally, he answers for it.”
Robert said nothing.
Rebecca’s expression shifted.
She had expected family loyalty to fracture the case.
Instead Nathan had finally stopped confusing protection with concealment.
An officer approached.
“We need Ms. Mercer to come with us.”
Rebecca stood.
Before leaving, she looked at Nathan.
“You think this ends with me?”
Nathan frowned.
She nodded toward the files.
“There’s a signed contract in there.”
“What contract?”
“Vale Development’s marina purchase agreement.”
Nathan searched the table.
The agreement showed Vale acquiring waterfront property adjoining Mercer’s planned expansion.
Price: $18 million.
Buyer financing required closing by Friday.
Seller:
A company Nathan recognized.
Bennett Coastal Holdings.
Cole Bennett.
Nathan stared.
Cole secretly owned the development land.
Julian had been trying to save Vale Development by purchasing property from the very man blackmailing him.
Rebecca smiled sadly.
“Cole wasn’t just taking fees.”
Robert whispered, “He was cashing out.”
Nathan turned the pages.
A side letter guaranteed Cole another $7 million if rezoning succeeded.
Twenty-five million total.
The exact blackmail demand.
Rebecca said, “He never expected you to pay him directly.”
Nathan looked up.
“He wanted the marina deal funded.”
“Exactly.”
The forged $12 million transfer had been intended as Julian’s equity contribution.
Rebecca had built the mechanism.
Cole had supplied the land.
Julian supplied desperation.
Bianca supplied access.
Everyone thought they were using everyone else.
Rebecca was led outside.
Nathan’s phone rang.
Margaret.
“Nathan, we have another problem.”
He almost laughed.
“What?”
“Bianca’s cooperation agreement may collapse.”
“Why?”
“Prosecutors found a message she deleted.”
Nathan’s chest tightened.
“What does it say?”
Margaret read it.
A message from Bianca to Cole, sent two days before the yacht incident:
Tomorrow I get rid of Sofia. After that, Ava will tell Nathan whatever we need.
Nathan closed his eyes.
Bianca had claimed she only wanted Sofia removed.
The message suggested something worse.
May you like
They had planned to use Ava again.
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