Chapter 5 - The Cost of Justice
I sat in my car in Martin's parking garage for an hour.
The terms of Arthur's trust were absolute. I had the power to protect the family wealth, but I also had the power to allocate it. If I did nothing, Ethan would go to prison for wire fraud and forgery. But because Vanessa was listed as a guarantor, she would face an agonizing legal battle, her family's business would be liquidated, and Leo’s life would be destroyed.
I could save her. I had twenty-one million dollars sitting in an untouched account. I could pay off the predatory lender, clear the debt, and make the forgery disappear before the federal authorities were notified.
But doing so meant bailing out the son who had thrown me through a glass door. It meant spending twelve million dollars of Arthur’s legacy to protect a daughter-in-law who despised me.
My phone buzzed on the passenger seat. It was a text from Ethan.
Mom, please. The lender is threatening to call the police. I need you to reverse the freeze. I’ll do anything. I’m sorry.
May you like
He wasn't sorry he hurt me. He was sorry he was caught.
I started the engine and pulled out of the garage, heading back to Westport. I had made my decision. I was going to save my grandson, but I was going to make sure Ethan and Vanessa understood exactly what it cost.
