Chapter 3 - THE UNRAVELING MASK
The revelation hit me like a second brick.
My grandfather was alive. For my entire life, an innocent old man had been locked above my childhood bedroom while my sister and I ate dinner downstairs, completely oblivious to the horrific crime occurring right above our heads.
"They kept him trapped..." Tears streamed down my face, stinging my bandaged cheek. "That's why we were never allowed upstairs in the west wing. They told us the roof was structurally unsafe!"
"They used him as a human checkbook," Pendelton explained. "Every few months, Gregory would force Charles to sign documents extending trusteeship power. But now that you are twenty-five, the trust terms state that the main beneficiary must claim the assets in person at the probate court alongside the grantor—or with proof of his death."
"That's why they hit me," I realized, terror chilling my blood. "They weren't just trying to disfigure me to make Wyatt leave. They were trying to cause enough brain damage to declare me legally incompetent! If I was declared unfit, my mother or sister would become my legal guardian—and control the thirty-five million dollars!"
"They are monsters," Wyatt spat, grabbing his phone. "We need to call the FBI right now. Kidnapping, elder abuse, fraud, attempted murder—"
"Wait," Pendelton instructed, raising a hand. "If we rush in with local police right now on a standard check-in, Gregory will have time to hide documents, or worse, do something drastic to your grandfather before officers break down the door. We need a trap. We need them to expose themselves publicly so they have zero room for legal defense."
"How do we do that?" I asked.
"We give them exactly what they want," Pendelton smiled darkly. "Or at least, what they think they want."
The next morning, Wyatt made a public statement to a local news channel that had been covering the mysterious "domestic incident" in the affluent suburbs of Columbus. Standing in front of the cameras, Wyatt looked solemn, exhausted, and broken.
"Sadie and I are stepping back from our engagement," Wyatt lied flawlessly into the camera, reading from a carefully crafted script. "The traumatic events of that night have shattered our relationship. I cannot be with someone carrying this much family drama. I wish Sadie the best in her recovery, but my relationship with her is over."
Within two hours, the bait was taken.
My phone rang. It was my sister, Melanie.
I put the call on speaker while Pendelton’s team recorded the line.
"Sadie?" Melanie’s voice oozed with fake sympathy, though she couldn't hide the triumphant giggle underneath. "I saw Wyatt’s press statement. Oh, sweetie... I'm so, so sorry. I told you a man like Wyatt couldn't handle a girl who looks like... well, like you do right now."
"What do you want, Melanie?" I said, playing the broken, weeping victim.
"Mom and Dad want to come by your apartment," she said casually. "They feel terrible about the 'accident.' Dad wants to bring you some papers to sign—just medical proxy stuff so we can help you pay for your reconstructive surgeries. Since Wyatt abandoned you, you'll need family to take care of you, right?"
I looked at Pendelton, who gave me a sharp nod.
"Okay," I sobbed into the phone. "Come over. I have nowhere else to turn."
"We'll be there in an hour, sis," Melanie smirked. "Oh, and by the way? Wyatt called me thirty minutes ago. He asked me out for drinks to 'talk things over.' I guess he realizes now who the functional sister is."
She hung up.
I set the phone down, my hands trembling—not from fear, but from an overwhelming, burning desire for vengeance.
May you like
"They fell for it completely," Wyatt said, wrapping his arms around me from behind. "They think I've turned on you. They think they’ve won."
"They're coming here to sign the power of attorney papers," Pendelton said, turning to his security detail. "When they walk through that door, they think they're signing away your life. Instead, they're walking straight into a federal indictment."
