Page 53 of Finally Found You

Uncle James and my brothers arrive as I begin to tell him the story. I start from the drops Mom used on his food and end with Atzi’s accident.

“We knew about Esme,” Uncle James chimes in when I finish.

“Dad knew about his youngest daughter?” Aslan growls, his fists clenched and jaw set with disbelief and anger.

I mean, we already knew that. Just last week, we found the papers with all the assets he was leaving her. The amount matched what each of us received when he died. He clearly knew about her and tried to provide for her like the rest of his children—except for offering the presence of a father. But why?

“Yes, and I know what you’re thinking.” Uncle James paces my office back and forth before saying, “The affair ended because your mother threatened Cécile’s life. It was more like an ultimatum: ‘You either push her out of your life, or I will do it my way.’”

Uncle Jensen shrugs, his features heavy with regret. “He didn’t know what that meant, but for her safety, he let her go. We… I never thought his life would be in danger.”

“Why didn’t he give her the divorce?” I ask, trying to make sense of it all.

“Your mother refused to give it to him because of the prenuptial agreement. One of the clauses stipulated that if she cheated, she would leave the marriage with nothing, including her children.” Uncle Jensen shrugs. “I never understood why they needed a prenup. None of us asked that of our spouses.”

“He kept Spearman LP. He needed to protect what our grandfather started,” Uncle James reminded him. “Joel loved Dawn. I don’t think he loved her like he did Cécile, though. All I know is that he tried his best to keep the family together and happy.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about the drops?” Uncle James questions, his eyes searching mine. “We could’ve done something.”

“Our siblings had already lost one parent… and she was mentally gone…” I trail off, releasing a heavy breath. Rising from my seat, I pace the room, the weight of our family’s secrets pressing down on me. “Though I’m not sure it was for six years. Three years into her illness, a woman came to her, claiming to be pregnant with my child. Mother paid her off to disappear.”

Uncle James shakes his head. “We have a cordial relationship with Dawn because of you. You’re our children, and we want to protect you. I wouldn’t doubt her lover had something to do with Esme’s accident.”

“Who is her lover?” I ask, a growing sense of urgency building within me.

“Joel mentioned he was dangerous. He didn’t explain further, and we respected that,” Uncle Jensen responds. His expression is guarded.

Gatsby, who has been silent since his arrival, finally speaks up. “You don’t need to protect us anymore. We need to know what we’re dealing with. Atzi’s accident could be the beginning of something. Can you imagine what would’ve happened if she or any of the babies had died?”

“Do you really think that’s related?” Uncle James asks, his concern growing with each word.

I nod, a chill crawling up my spine as the reality sets in. They know more and maybe we could’ve prevented… But the past doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t dwell on the what-ifs, but focus on what we’ll avoid in the future with this knowledge. We have to concentrate on the now.

“We do.” My response is steady despite the turmoil inside me. “Just as we’re sure that she’s responsible for Esme’s death and… Our entire family could be in danger if she loses her ever-loving mind.”

My uncles exchange a glance before nodding in agreement. “Kirk Meyer. He’s a white-collar criminal and has connections with illicit organizations. He could certainly find a hit man and make things look like an accident,” Uncle James reveals, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and fear.

I send a text to Derek and Finn with that information, hoping they can tie that name to the ongoing investigation. Will something come up? I just hope they’re that good. They claim to be able to take down terrorists, traffickers, and the occasional gang, but it’s been months, and they can’t find shit about Atzi’s accident.

In the meantime, we show our uncles all the documents we found. The trusts, hidden under Esme’s name, and the properties, too. We all agree that everything should go to Atzi’s children. In some way, we think they are the closest relatives to Esme, but we’ll wait for my other five siblings to weigh in on this.

Are we ready to tell them the truth? We have to if we want to be ready for everything that’s about to happen.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lysander

Only a couple of hours after I text Finnegan, he and Derek call with some news. Kirk Meyer was the missing link to their investigation. However, Meyer died years ago. His sons took over the business once they were old enough.

A shudder runs through my body when I find out that Mother has been in close contact with them. She appears to share a closer bond with them than with us, her children.

“What’s next?” I ask, trying to devise a plan to finish this mess and protect our family.

With a heavy sigh, Derek’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Now that we have a clear picture of the situation, we’re doubling the security.” His determination booms through the other side of the line. “Finn called in more people. We need to be ready for anything.”

“It’s just a precaution. I could finish the job without backup,” Finn states, brimming with a dangerous energy that alarms me.

“You’re not shooting anyone,” Derek quickly rebuts, his stern command echoing like a warning bell in the tense silence. “Ben, Bernie, and our wife are leaving for Seattle. We want to ensure they’re not close to the line of fire.”

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