Page 93 of Inevitable Secrets

They made their way up to the office level of Preston Corp. The doors opened and they stepped out, but really had no plan. They hadn’t been able to get in contact with Ben. They weren’t sure if that was a plus or minus for their situation.

“Should we wait?” Derrick asked softly. “See if Ben comes?” Taylor looked at him in surprise, and Derrick rolled his eyes. “I don’t like the guy but there is strength in numbers against crazy people.”

“We need to find Charlie,” Taylor said. “I need to see if he is okay.”

They started off and turned a corner towards Todd’s office and as they did a disheveled and shaken Charlie crashed into them, running from the other direction.

“Charlie?” Derrick said in surprise.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Taylor asked.

“He’s mad,” Charlie whispered, wide-eyed.

“Who?” Derrick asked.

“Todd,” Charlie said in a whisper-yell while he looked over his shoulder. “He has Marty,” Charlie said, looking panic-stricken.

“What?!” Derrick and Taylor said together, then looked at each other and set off down the hall at a hastened pace.

“Wait, wait,” Charlie cried, chasing them and stepping into their path, “we need to call the police. Please, God only knows what he is capable of.”

“That bastard has my sister. I’m not waiting,” Derrick yelled as he shoved past the older man. Charlie grabbed at his arm as he went past but Derrick easily shook it off.

“Derrick,” Taylor called after him. She got it, he wanted to help but she was panicked for his safety.

“Taylor, please,” Charlie said, holding her back, “I think he’s after you, you should—”

“Charlie, I can’t just let him go in there alone,” Taylor pushed him away from her and raced down the hall to Todd’s office, where she found Derrick on the floor. “Derrick!” she shouted, dropping herself to the ground beside him. She saw someone sitting in the desk chair in the room and looked up to see Todd slumped over. He was tied to the chair with rope around his arms holding his unconscious frame in place, gray duct tape over his mouth. Taylor looked back down at her husband. “Derrick?” she called to him, soft but shrill.

“He was so alarmed he didn’t even feel me inject that tranquilizer,” Charlie said, clucking his tongue as he walked in calm and composed, smiling down at Taylor. Quickly his smile morphed into a sneer. “Now get up,” he grunted to her tugging her up by the arm.

Twenty-Nine

Taylor was shakingher head as Charlie pulled her to her feet. “Charlie, what the hell—”

“You stupid girl, have you really not figured it out yet? I must be a much better actor than I thought, huh?” Charlie asked in disbelief. “God, for someone so intelligent you are really, really naive.”

“But Todd—”

“Good God, you can’t possibly still think Todd is to blame!”

“But how…why—”

“Because when the police come in and find that you have shot Todd and your husband and your sister-in-law andthenyourself, I will take control of Preston Corp.”

Taylor’s head spun. “You did this?” she whispered. She shook her head. “But why, Charlie?”

“Why?” he asked in disgust. “Because I deserve this company, dammit!” he announced, stomping his foot on the ground. “I have broken my back and spent my entire life devoted to this company, given my everything to all of it and have gotten nothing, nothing in return. I drove Cedric to rehab twice, got up all hours of the night to bail him out of jail, picked Grant up when he was too drunk to drive. All so your grandfather wouldn’t be caught dead doing it, and that is all in addition to being at your grandfather’s beck and call. And for what? What?!”

“Charlie, my grandfather loved you, my whole family loved you.”

“You know what your grandfather said to me once? He told me only a Preston could truly care about the business. After all I had done. That was the day he signed the decree for his succession. And that was when I read it.”

“What are you saying?” Taylor asked sounding very much like the scared little girl she felt like inside.

“I learned very early on in business if you want something you need to take it.”

Taylor felt dizzy as the blood drained from her head. He couldn't really mean what he was implying, she thought. Her breathing came fast.

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