Chapter 25 - REBECCA’S LAST SECRET
Rebecca had disappeared.
Again.
Her protective residence was empty.
No sign of forced entry.
Her assigned security officer said she left for a scheduled attorney meeting.
She never arrived.
Gavin felt betrayed.
Nora felt something worse.
Daniel had specifically told her to listen to Rebecca if she came willingly.
Nora had started to believe there might be something salvageable inside the woman.
Now evidence placed Rebecca beside William minutes before his death.
They found her forty-eight hours later.
Not hiding abroad.
Not running.
Sitting beside Daniel’s grave.
Nora went with Gavin.
Rebecca looked up.
“I wondered which one of you would come first.”
Gavin held the forensic report.
“You were with my father.”
“Yes.”
“You never told us.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Rebecca stared at Daniel’s headstone.
“Because William asked me not to.”
Gavin laughed angrily.
“My father is dead.”
“So is Daniel.”
“Dead people are carrying too many secrets.”
Rebecca nodded.
“That’s why I came here.”
She handed Gavin an envelope.
Inside was another recording.
William.
9:52 p.m.
Night he died.
Rebecca’s voice.
“You need a hospital.”
William answered.
“No.”
“Arthur changed my medication.”
“I know.”
“I replaced it.”
Gavin froze.
Rebecca looked at him.
“I saved him from Arthur.”
“Then why did he die?”
“Because William had already taken another drug.”
“What drug?”
“Something Marcus gave him.”
Gavin stared.
Marcus.
Again.
Rebecca continued.
“Marcus told William it was aspirin.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Combined with the replacement heart medication, it caused the fatal reaction.”
“So Marcus killed him.”
“Not intentionally.”
Gavin almost shouted.
“I am tired of accidental murders.”
Rebecca flinched.
“Marcus was trying to make William drowsy.”
“Arthur was trying to make him weak.”
“I was trying to counter Arthur.”
“Three people altered what was in his body.”
“None understood what the others had done.”
“And William died.”
The stupidity of it felt almost worse than a planned murder.
A chain of manipulation.
Each person believing they controlled the outcome.
Together killing a man.
Gavin sat beside the grave.
“Why didn’t you call an ambulance immediately?”
“I did.”
“Records show a delay.”
“William stopped me.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to record a statement.”
Gavin stared.
Rebecca handed him the final audio file.
William’s voice was faint.
“Gavin.”
“If this reaches you, understand something.”
“No single person killed me.”
“They all did.”
“Arthur.”
“Marcus.”
“Helena.”
“Charles.”
“Me.”
Gavin frowned.
His father continued.
“I knew what they were doing and waited because I wanted perfect evidence.”
“I thought I could control the timing.”
“I was wrong.”
“Do not make my mistake.”
“Truth does not become safer because you delay it.”
The recording ended.
Gavin closed his eyes.
There it was.
The final lesson.
William had not been a flawless hero.
He had made mistakes.
Waited.
Protected the company too long.
Underestimated people.
But in the end, he tried to correct it.
Rebecca looked at Nora.
“I’m leaving.”
“Where?”
“To surrender the rest.”
“You already cooperated.”
“Not about William.”
Nora nodded.
“You should.”
Rebecca stood.
Before leaving, she touched Daniel’s headstone.
“I loved him too.”
Nora believed her.
That did not erase anything.
But she believed her.
Marcus’ case was reopened.
Additional charges followed.
He confessed to giving William the sedative.
“I didn’t know Arthur had altered the medication.”
Gavin said.
“That sentence does not help.”
“I know.”
Marcus went to prison carrying responsibility that could no longer be reduced to accounting fraud.
The last criminal mystery was finally closed.
William Roberson had died because multiple conspirators separately tried to manipulate him.
No mastermind ordered his murder.
A corrupt system killed him.
That truth somehow fit everything.
One year after the engagement party, Common Ground broke ground on its first major project.
Employees.
Residents.
City officials.
No senators.
Gavin refused politicians on stage.
Nora stood beside him.
Taylor held a tiny plastic shovel.
Evelyn stood in the front row holding a photograph of William and Daniel.
Gavin gave a short speech.
No grand promises.
No billionaire slogans.
He simply said.
“Two men designed this project.”
“My father and my brother.”
“Neither lived to see it.”
“So we’re building it the way they intended.”
Applause.
Later, Taylor buried Gavin’s expensive shoe in dirt.
Nora laughed.
“You deserved that.”
“Why?”
“You wore Italian shoes to a construction site.”
“My old instincts remain.”
That evening, Gavin drove Nora and Taylor to Coronado Beach.
Sunset.
No cameras.
No guests.
No black folders.
Taylor ran toward the water.
Gavin and Nora walked behind her.
He reached for Nora’s hand.
She let him.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Dangerous again.”
“I want to ask you something.”
Nora stopped.
“Gavin.”
He laughed.
“Relax.”
“I’m not proposing.”
“Good.”
His face fell theatrically.
“Very good reaction.”
“You said you weren’t.”
“I’m not.”
He looked toward Taylor.
“I want you both to move into the blue house.”
Nora stared.
“The house where your family hid thirty years of trauma in the walls?”
“When you say it like that, the sales pitch suffers.”
She laughed.
He became serious.
“I don’t want you in the penthouse.”
“I don’t want it either.”
“I want a home.”
“With you.”
“And Taylor.”
Nora looked toward her daughter.
Then back.
“No staff?”
“One cleaning service.”
“No.”
“One day a week?”
“You know how to vacuum.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
She smiled.
“Yes.”
They renovated the blue house.
Not into a mansion.
Into a home.
Taylor chose yellow walls.
Evelyn complained.
Taylor ignored her.
Gavin learned to make pancakes.
He was worse than Daniel.
Nora considered that emotionally appropriate.
Months later, Gavin finally proposed.
Not at a gala.
Not in front of thirty guests.
In the kitchen.
Taylor was eating cereal.
Nora was wearing sweatpants.
Gavin burned pancakes.
He put the ring beside her coffee.
Nora stared.
“That is extremely unromantic for a billionaire.”
“Former billionaire stereotype.”
“You’re still rich.”
“Unfortunately.”
Taylor looked at the ring.
“Mommy.”
“What?”
“Say yes.”
Nora laughed.
Then looked at Gavin.
No manipulation.
No audience.
No political strategy.
No family arrangement.
Just choice.
“Yes.”
Taylor cheered.
Gavin kissed Nora.
Then Taylor screamed.
“Ew.”
For a while, it seemed the story had finally reached peace.
Then a letter arrived.
Postmarked Switzerland.
No return address.
Inside was a photograph of Daniel standing beside William.
Taken three days before William died.
On the back, Daniel had written.
THE LAST FILE IS NOT ABOUT THE FRAUD.
Below it.
IT IS ABOUT GAVIN.
Nora stared.
Gavin read the final line.
May you like
HE DESERVES TO KNOW WHY WILLIAM REALLY CHOSE HIM.
And once again, a secret from the dead had arrived at their door.
