Chapter 6 - THE ATTORNEY WHO WROTE THE FAMILY HISTORY.
Mr. Sloan arrived at the mansion within twenty minutes.
Julian had summoned him before entering the kitchen.
Sloan looked at the letters, photograph, and medicine packet without visible surprise.
He had represented three generations of Blackwoods and spoke with the polished calm of a man who believed every disaster could be converted into confidential paperwork.
He confirmed that Victor survived the accident.
He also admitted preparing Margaret’s guardianship documents and the false death announcement.
Sloan called the actions unfortunate but necessary.
The Blackwood companies employed thousands of people.
A public succession fight, he argued, could have destroyed pensions, projects, and investor confidence.
Anna stared at him.
“The workers lost their pensions anyway.”
The hidden housing ledgers showed that Blackwood executives had already diverted employee-benefit funds into luxury construction.
The family claimed sacrifice was necessary to protect jobs while purchasing vacation estates through shell companies.
Sloan said ordinary employees did not understand corporate survival.
Ethan asked whether survival required declaring his mother dead.
Sloan replied that Margaret refused every reasonable settlement.
They had offered her a private estate, permanent medical care, and financial security.
All she had to do was remain silent.
To men like Sloan, silence purchased with confinement still counted as agreement.
Ethan demanded Margaret’s location.
The attorney refused, citing medical privacy.
Lily looked up at him.
“You only care about privacy when rich people are hiding something.”
Sloan’s expression tightened.
Then Mrs. Harper opened the kitchen safe and removed an unsigned property deed.
Margaret had transferred legal ownership of the mansion to the Blackwood domestic-staff pension trust before her disappearance.
The family had lived for twelve years inside a house that legally belonged to the employees they threatened.
Julian called the deed invalid.
Sloan examined the seal.
His hand began to tremble.
The document had been notarized by a federal judge.
Then someone knocked three times on the frosted hallway door.
Mrs. Harper whispered, “That is her signal.”
The door opened.
Margaret Blackwood stood on the other side.
May you like
But she was not alone.
Victor was beside her.
