{"id":12161,"date":"2026-09-17T11:41:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T11:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=12161"},"modified":"2026-09-17T11:41:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T11:41:00","slug":"part-8-robert-agreed-to-betray-me-one-more-time-but-victors-response-exposed-a-deception-none-of-us-had-considered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=12161","title":{"rendered":"PART 8 \u2013 Robert Agreed to Betray Me One More Time, but Victor&#8217;s Response Exposed a Deception None of Us Had Considered"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody liked Gerald&#39;s plan.<\/p>\n<p>That was the first point on which our family had agreed all day.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou want Dad to call Victor,\u201d Daniel said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell him he has the key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd arrange a meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucas leaned back in the office chair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis plan improves every time you repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald ignored the sarcasm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe purpose isn&#39;t the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is the purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo make Victor move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel studied him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald turned the red ledger around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor has spent years operating through intermediaries. Lawyers. lenders. shell companies. People like Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Robert claims he stole the key, Victor must decide whether to trust him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert gave a humorless laugh.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe doesn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I understood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#39;ll verify.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd verification creates activity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel followed. \u201cCalls. Messages. Maybe someone goes to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd while they&#39;re watching Robert\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey may watch me less.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at the brass key.<\/p>\n<p>It felt absurd that something so small could carry so much weight.<\/p>\n<p>Marisol shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens if Victor believes Dad?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#39;ll tell me where to bring it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#39;ll know you&#39;re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what does he do when he knows?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nobody answered.<\/p>\n<p>Marisol turned to Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s a pretty important part of the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald folded his hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe prepare for retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucas laughed without amusement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExcellent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Robert.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t have to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>Robert most of all.<\/p>\n<p>I continued before anyone misunderstood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou owe us the truth. You owe us cooperation. You do not owe anyone your life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert&#39;s expression shifted.<\/p>\n<p>For half a second he looked like the man who had once stood beside me in a hospital room holding newborn Daniel.<\/p>\n<p>Then he nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I&#39;m already the reason they&#39;re here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn&#39;t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou really hate that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked toward our children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI spent years convincing myself that lying to everyone was protection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His gaze returned to me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt wasn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this time, everybody knows what I&#39;m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marisol stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat almost sounded responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon&#39;t get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A ghost of their old relationship passed between them.<\/p>\n<p>It hurt to see.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald handed Robert a prepaid phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUse this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert frowned. \u201cWhere did you get that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am old, Robert. Not useless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lucas smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI still love him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert entered a number from memory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor probably won&#39;t answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He called.<\/p>\n<p>The phone rang twice.<\/p>\n<p>Then a man&#39;s voice answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even from several feet away, I heard the confidence in it.<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have something you want.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor was silent.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A longer pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena found it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd she gave it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert smiled bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know Elena better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Victor did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you stole it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;ve never complained when betrayal helped you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s eyebrows lifted approvingly.<\/p>\n<p>Victor&#39;s voice remained calm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy debt cleared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert moved to disconnect.<\/p>\n<p>Victor spoke quickly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked at Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of it,\u201d Robert said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou owe one-point-seven million dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you want what&#39;s in that box more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Then Victor laughed softly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou still don&#39;t know what&#39;s inside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes Elena?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou expect me to believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe found the key today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pause.<\/p>\n<p>Victor asked, \u201cWhere is she now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert glanced at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s expression sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>That was the test.<\/p>\n<p>If Victor had real-time surveillance, he would know the lie immediately.<\/p>\n<p>Victor said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Five seconds.<\/p>\n<p>Ten.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, she isn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My skin went cold.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel mouthed, They know.<\/p>\n<p>Robert kept his voice steady.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you know where she is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring me the key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;ll send instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat wasn&#39;t the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no deal yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert&#39;s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClear my debt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring the key.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re negotiating with a very weak hand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>Then said, \u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena opened Peter&#39;s ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s expression changed sharply.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn&#39;t part of the plan.<\/p>\n<p>I almost stopped Robert.<\/p>\n<p>Then understood.<\/p>\n<p>He was improvising.<\/p>\n<p>Victor became silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe red one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The silence on the line transformed.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, Victor lost control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere did she get it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert glanced at Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor swore.<\/p>\n<p>A small thing.<\/p>\n<p>But everyone in the room heard it.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald leaned toward Robert and whispered, \u201cPush.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe knows about the companies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe knows about Peter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Still none.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe knows about the brake line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor disconnected.<\/p>\n<p>The office became still.<\/p>\n<p>Lucas whispered, \u201cI think we found the nerve.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked disturbed rather than pleased.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe shouldn&#39;t have reacted to the red ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Victor believes it was destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert stared. \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone turned.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald removed his glasses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter your mother died, Victor came to me. He demanded Peter&#39;s records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you gave them to him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I burned several empty notebooks and showed him the ashes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel stared at the ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Victor has believed for four years that the ledger was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My phone rang.<\/p>\n<p>Victor.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n<p>I answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His voice was different from Robert&#39;s call.<\/p>\n<p>No smoothness.<\/p>\n<p>No patience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGerald has lied to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s face remained blank.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s becoming common.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to leave his office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Gerald killed your father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nobody breathed.<\/p>\n<p>I looked directly at Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>He didn&#39;t react.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has spent years making sure you blamed me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy should I believe you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou shouldn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That answer surprised me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should look at box 317.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat will I find?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Peter discovered Gerald was stealing from your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald whispered, \u201cHang up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor heard him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs he there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#39;t answer.<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed softly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course he is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald came closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena, end the call.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stepped away from him.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk Gerald why your father stopped using him three weeks before he died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>His face changed.<\/p>\n<p>A fraction.<\/p>\n<p>Enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGerald.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed in my ear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk him about November third.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald reached for the phone.<\/p>\n<p>I moved back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened November third?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour father discovered that someone had transferred four hundred thousand dollars from your mother&#39;s account.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is what box 317 proves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor is manipulating you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I kept my eyes on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut did the transfer happen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas it connected to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor spoke through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGerald Mason authorized it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald&#39;s face went pale.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel immediately opened the red ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNovember third.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He flipped pages.<\/p>\n<p>Then stopped.<\/p>\n<p>His finger landed on an entry.<\/p>\n<p>$400,000.<\/p>\n<p>Authorization initials:<\/p>\n<p>G.M.<\/p>\n<p>Marisol whispered, \u201cGerald Mason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>I lowered the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor remained on the line.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked suddenly exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI authorized the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My heart sank.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo protect the money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy moving it where?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>Victor supplied the answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo a company owned by Gerald&#39;s son.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked at the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t know what you&#39;re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen tell her the company name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald didn&#39;t.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel searched the ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge Holdings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald flinched.<\/p>\n<p>Lucas looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour son&#39;s?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everything tilted again.<\/p>\n<p>The safe figure.<\/p>\n<p>The trusted accountant.<\/p>\n<p>The man my father told me to trust.<\/p>\n<p>I suddenly saw the problem.<\/p>\n<p>My father&#39;s note didn&#39;t say Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>It said:<\/p>\n<p>TRUST THE PERSON WHO BRINGS YOU THE RED BOOK.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald had brought the red book.<\/p>\n<p>But that didn&#39;t necessarily mean Dad had intended him to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you do with the four hundred thousand?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour mother asked me to move it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo keep Victor from accessing it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor&#39;s voice came through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe never gave that instruction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald snapped, \u201cYou weren&#39;t there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Victor said calmly. \u201cBut Peter was.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor paused.<\/p>\n<p>Then spoke almost gently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour father thought Gerald was stealing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald slammed one hand onto the desk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stepped backward.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel moved between us.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked horrified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;m not going to hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel didn&#39;t move.<\/p>\n<p>I held the phone tighter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor, why do you want the key?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo stop you from opening that box.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Peter put evidence inside that can destroy several people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The honesty startled me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Gerald?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#39;s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Robert.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert went still.<\/p>\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor&#39;s voice softened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid your ex-husband tell you why his name was added to the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert&#39;s face drained of color.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said Victor did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed once.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald looked toward Robert.<\/p>\n<p>That frightened me more than Victor&#39;s accusation.<\/p>\n<p>Because Gerald looked surprised too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My ex-husband stepped backward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho added your name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor said, \u201cHe does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut up,\u201d Robert snapped.<\/p>\n<p>Victor ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAsk Robert where he was the night before your father died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I couldn&#39;t breathe.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Robert.<\/p>\n<p>His eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere were you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was with Peter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nobody moved.<\/p>\n<p>My voice became quiet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe night before he died?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe called me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked at the brass key still in my hand.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBox 317.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My knees weakened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat if anything happened to him, I had to make sure you never opened it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor laughed softly through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>There was triumph in it now.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Robert.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou spent six years trying to keep me away from that box.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face broke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause your father put something inside that could send me to prison.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sentence landed like a physical blow.<\/p>\n<p>Marisol whispered, \u201cDad\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn&#39;t kill Peter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Victor spoke through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone froze.<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked at the device.<\/p>\n<p>Victor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRobert didn&#39;t kill your father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I tightened my grip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen who did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpen the box.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The call ended.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n<p>Gerald stared at Robert.<\/p>\n<p>Robert stared at the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Daniel slowly closed the red ledger.<\/p>\n<p>I looked from one man to the other.<\/p>\n<p>Two men my father had known.<\/p>\n<p>Two men he had apparently distrusted.<\/p>\n<p>Two men each carrying pieces of the truth and years of lies.<\/p>\n<p>I slipped the brass key back into my pocket.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#39;re going to the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerald stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElena, wait.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor will expect it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Robert looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor six years, everyone has been making decisions based on what they think I can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I picked up the red ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat ends now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Lucas stood beside him.<\/p>\n<p>Marisol came to my other side.<\/p>\n<p>Robert remained across the room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome with us,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<p>He stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause whatever my father put in that box concerns you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned to Gerald.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Neither man moved.<\/p>\n<p>I opened the office door.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, afternoon sunlight spilled across the stairwell as if this were an ordinary day.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn&#39;t.<\/p>\n<p>By nightfall, I would know what my father had hidden.<\/p>\n<p>And whichever man had spent six years protecting the truth was finally going to lose control of it.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=12162\">Click here to continue reading: PART 9: Box 317 Held My Father&#8217;s Evidence, but the First Recording Inside Forced Robert to Confess What He Had Done<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody liked Gerald&#39;s plan. That was the first point on which our family had agreed all day. \u201cYou want Dad to call Victor,\u201d Daniel said. \u201cYes.\u201d \u201cTell him he has &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12185,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161\/revisions\/12185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}