Chapter 11 - The Choice
I looked directly at my father.
"The audit is on Monday," I stated. "You have two choices, Dad."
He glared at me, his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.
"Choice one," I said. "Julian sends all of this data to the FBI and the SEC right now. You go to federal prison for a very long time. Grant goes with you, because his name is on the documents."
My mother started to cry softly.
"Choice two," I continued. "You liquidate everything. The estate, the cars, the summer house, my mother's jewelry. You pay back every single cent you stole from your clients."
"That will leave us with nothing," my father whispered, horrified.
"It will leave you out of prison," Nora corrected him.
"And," I added, looking at Grant. "You sign full immunity documents for Grant. You take full responsibility in writing, so if anything ever comes up, he is clear."
Grant looked at me, tears in his eyes. "Evie..."
"You turn the company over to the board, and you walk away," I finished. "You live a quiet, poor life. But you live it as free men."
"You can't do this to me," my father said, his voice breaking. "I am Arthur Kingsley. I built this family."
"No," I said softly. "Grandfather built it. You destroyed it."
I pushed a pen across the table toward him.
"You have five minutes to sign the liquidation agreements Nora prepared," I said. "Or Julian hits send."
The silence in the room was deafening.
My mother grabbed my father's arm. "Arthur. Please. Sign it."
My father looked at the pen for a long time. Then, with a shaking hand, he picked it up.
He signed his name, destroying his empire in three strokes of ink.
When he was done, he threw the pen across the room.
May you like
"You're dead to me," he spat at me.
"I know," I said. "And I'm okay with that."
