Chapter 2 - The Midnight Signature
Lucas hesitated, his hand hovering over the call button. “Mr. Mercer, it’s past midnight. Are you sure you don’t want to wait until morning?”
“I don’t have until morning, son,” Jonathan wheezed, his chest tightening. “If I fall asleep, I might not wake up. Call him. Now.”
The young orderly nodded, his expression hardening with resolve. He dialed the number for Arthur Vance, Jonathan’s cutthroat corporate attorney and oldest friend.
When Arthur arrived forty minutes later, his tailored suit was drenched from the Chicago rain. He carried a leather briefcase and a look of deep concern.
“Jonathan, what is the meaning of this?” Arthur asked, locking the hospital door behind him. “Your wife just texted me, saying you were unresponsive.”
“My wife is a liar,” Jonathan said bitterly. “And a murderer.”
Arthur froze, his sharp eyes darting to Lucas, who stood quietly in the corner.
“He stays,” Jonathan ordered. “Arthur, listen to me carefully. Victoria has been poisoning me with digoxin. She confessed an hour ago. She thinks she’s inheriting everything with her lover, Raymond.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened. He reached for his phone. “I’m calling the police.”
“No!” Jonathan barked, coughing violently. “No police. Not yet. If you call them now, she’ll deny it. It’s my word against hers. She’ll walk away, and she’ll take half my estate in a divorce.”
“Then what do we do?” Arthur asked.
“We rewrite the will,” Jonathan whispered, his eyes gleaming with a cold, calculated fire. “Every single asset. The factory, the condos, the liquid cash. I want it all placed into an irrevocable trust.”
Arthur pulled out a legal pad. “Who is the beneficiary?”
Jonathan turned his gaze to the young orderly by the door. “Lucas Bennett.”
Lucas stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock. “Sir? No, I can’t—I don’t even know you that well. I just bring you water and change your sheets!”
“You are an honest man, Lucas,” Jonathan said softly. “You work yourself to the bone for your sister. I know about Chloe. I know she needs that heart surgery.”
“But $82 million?” Lucas stammered.
“It comes with a condition,” Jonathan said, turning back to his lawyer. “Arthur, draft it up. Lucas gets control of the estate, on the sole condition that he pays for his sister’s surgery, and he fully cooperates with a private investigation into my death.”
May you like
Arthur’s pen flew across the paper. “And Victoria?”
“Oh, leave her something special,” Jonathan smiled grimly. “Leave her the exact rope she needs to hang herself.”
