Chapter 5 - Ellen’s DiscoveryI found Ellen sitting in the sunroom, wrapped in a light cashmere shawl. The morning light caught the dark, ugly purple bruise blooming across her forearm—a permanent reminder of her son’s betrayal. She was looking out over the manicured rose gardens, a cup of untouched chamomile tea resting in her lap.
She didn't look up as I entered, but she spoke quietly.
“Your office doors were locked all morning. Marcus was here by six. The legal department has been holding emergency calls since dawn.” She turned her head to look at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Robert... what did you do?”
I sat down in the chair opposite her, taking her uninjured hand in mine.
“I did what you couldn’t bring yourself to do, my love. I held them accountable.”
Ellen swallowed hard, looking down at our joined hands. “Michael called me ten minutes ago. He was hysterical. He said his key card didn't work at the office, his car was towed from his apartment complex, and the trust accounts are locked. He blamed me. He said I must have poisoned you against him.”
“You didn’t have to,” I said firmly. “I saw the footage, Ellen.”
Her breath hitched. The color drained entirely from her face, leaving her pale and fragile.
“The... the venue manager?” she whispered, her voice breaking.
“He recovered the corrupted file. I watched every second of it, Ellen.”
Tears finally spilled over her lower lashes, tracking down her cheeks. She pulled her hand away, covering her face as decades of unconditional maternal devotion collided with the brutal reality of what her son had become.
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“He... he didn't even look back,” she sobbed, her shoulders shaking. “I raised him for twenty-eight years. I gave up my career, my time, my entire life to make sure he had everything... and when his wife put her hands on me, he shoved me into a wall like I was nothing.”
“You are everything in this house, Ellen,” I said, leaning forward to look into her eyes. “And they are nothing without us. Now, we are going to finish this. Together.”
