CHAPTER 7 – The Prison Letter That Changed Everything
Six months after Ethan Carter disappeared behind prison walls, everyone believed the story was over.
Amelia had returned to leading Brooks Global.
Lucas had rebuilt the family business.
Richard Brooks finally smiled again.
For the first time in years...
Peace had returned.
Then a plain white envelope arrived at Amelia's office.
No return address.
No postage.
Only three handwritten words.
"Read Alone. Urgent."
Inside was a letter.
Amelia recognized the handwriting instantly.
Ethan's.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded the paper.
"If you're reading this... I don't have much time."
"You were right about almost everything."
"But one person fooled both of us."
At the bottom of the page was a single name.
Vanessa.
Amelia frowned.
Impossible.
Vanessa had helped expose Ethan.
She had risked everything.
Why would Ethan accuse her now?
Attached to the letter was a prison visitor log.
One name appeared again and again.
Not Amelia.
Not Richard.
Not Ethan's lawyer.
Vanessa.
She had secretly visited Ethan twelve times.
No one knew.
Amelia immediately drove to the prison.
Ethan looked thinner.
Older.
Broken.
The arrogant man she once loved had disappeared.
He didn't ask for forgiveness.
He didn't ask for freedom.
Instead, he whispered,
"I wasn't the mastermind."
Amelia stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Ethan slowly pushed a small flash drive across the table.
"I thought Vanessa was helping me."
"But she was collecting information from everyone."
"You."
"Me."
"Your father."
"Lucas."
"She wasn't stealing your company..."
"...she was hunting something much bigger."
Amelia picked up the flash drive.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"What?"
Ethan looked directly into her eyes.
"The Brooks Family Trust."
"The real fortune."
"The one your father never told anyone about."
Amelia's face drained of color.
Only four people had ever known the trust existed.
Richard.
Lucas.
Amelia.
May you like
...and their late mother.
So how did Vanessa know?
