The car accident twenty years ago. His father, Robert Bennett, killed on the way to a restructuring meeting. Brake failure. No witnesses. Ruled an accident.
“The accident,” he whispered. “Twenty years ago. That wasn’t an accident, was it?”
Eleanor didn’t answer with words. She just stood there, her cold smile saying everything. Her silence was a confession.
“You killed my father,” Nicholas said. It wasn’t a question.
Eleanor shrugged. No remorse. “I saved this family,” she said. “Your father would have ruined everything. He had ‘morals.’ Morals have no place in our world, Nicholas. And I’ll do it again if I have to. Anyone who threatens the legacy will be removed. Including that child.”
Nicholas backed away. His mother wasn’t just the woman who poisoned his son. She was the woman who killed his father. She was a monster who had been hiding in plain sight.
“I’m calling the police,” he said, his voice steadying.
Eleanor laughed again. “The police? You? The man who operates in the shadows calling the cops? Don’t be ridiculous. You think they’ll believe you? We own half the precinct.”
Nicholas pulled out his phone. “For the first time in my life, I’m letting the law handle this. Because if I do it myself, Mother…”
He stopped, and his voice was colder than anything Eleanor had ever heard. “There won’t be anything left of you.” He dialed the number.
For the first time, Nicholas saw fear on his mother’s face. It lasted only a second before she tried a different tactic. The arrogance melted away, replaced by a soft, fake warmth. She stepped forward, reaching out. “Nicholas, please…”
Her voice trembled with false emotion. “I’m your mother. I raised you. Everything I did was for this family, for you. Can’t you see? I was protecting our future.”
Nicholas stepped back, recoiling from her touch. “You poisoned my son,” he said. “You killed my father. You’re not my mother. My mother died the moment she decided to hurt my child.”
The mask slipped again. Eleanor’s eyes went wild with panic. She turned and bolted for the door. But before she could reach it, Max was there, blocking her path. “I don’t think so, Mrs. Bennett,” he said flatly.
Eleanor turned back to Nicholas. “You can’t do this! I’ll tell them everything! About your business, every deal you’ve ever made. I’ll destroy you, Nicholas!”
Nicholas stood his ground. “Do it,” he said. “Tell them everything. I don’t care anymore. Nothing you say is worse than what you’ve done.”
In the distance, the sound of sirens began to wail. At first faint, then louder, sharper. Eleanor heard them, and her face went white.
Outside, Sarah watched from the hallway window. Two police cruisers pulled up next to the luxury cars in the driveway. The contrast was jarring. A detective in a plain suit entered, followed by two uniformed officers.
“Eleanor Bennett,” the detective said professionally. “You’re under arrest for the attempted harm of a minor and in connection with the death of Robert Bennett. You have the right to remain silent.”
Eleanor screamed as the officers approached. “No! You can’t do this! Do you know who I am? I built this! I own people in this city!”
But the handcuffs clicked shut anyway. The sound was final. The reign of the Bennett matriarch was over.
“You’re making a mistake!” Eleanor shrieked as they led her down the hall. “Without me, this family is nothing!”
The staff stood in the hallways in shocked silence, watching the woman they feared being led away like a common criminal. Steven stood with a blank face, but Sarah saw the relief in his eyes…
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