Chapter 13
Walter called it contingency.
Of course he did.
“You were becoming unstable.”
I stared.
“My car was sabotaged.”
“You were becoming dangerous.”
“To whom?”
“This family.”
I almost laughed.
“I am this family.”
“No.”
He pointed at Louisa.
“That child is all you see.”
Lydia nodded.
“She controls you.”
Louisa hid behind me.
Walter continued:
“You’ve canceled meetings when she’s sick.”
“Yes.”
“You moved guards from warehouses to her school.”
“Yes.”
“You changed Christmas plans because she had a fever.”
“Yes.”
He stared.
“You hear yourself?”
“Yes.”
That irritated him.
He expected shame.
I had none.
“You think love is leadership?”
“I think protecting my daughter is my responsibility.”
“You sound like Adam.”
“Good.”
His face hardened.
There it was.
The old wound.
Adam chose me.
Now I chose Louisa.
Walter could not tolerate being second to love.
“What was supposed to happen after my car accident?”
Silence.
Heather finally answered.
“Dad would take temporary control.”
Walter turned.
She kept going.
“Mom would keep Louisa at the lodge.”
Lydia snapped:
“For stability.”
I looked at her.
“You were going to tell Louisa I was dead.”
No answer.
My stomach turned.
“Weren’t you?”
Heather began crying.
Lydia rolled her eyes.
“For God’s sake.”
Heather shouted:
“She deserves to know!”
Walter slapped his daughter.
The room froze.
Heather stared at him.
He pointed.
“Stop performing.”
Something changed in her face.
Thirty years of obedience cracked.
“You hit Adam too.”
Walter went still.
Heather continued.
“At the lodge.”
“Shut up.”
“You hit him while he was hurt.”
“Shut up.”
“You told him Joanna would destroy the family.”
Walter lunged.
My guards stopped him.
Heather laughed through tears.
Then looked at me.
“Tonight was supposed to be the same.”
I stared.
“What?”
“They wanted you frightened.”
“By the car crash.”
“Yes.”
“If I survived?”
“They’d take you to the lodge.”
Same place.
Same method.
Same family.
May you like
Walter had not learned from Adam’s death.
He had turned it into a template.
