{"id":30540,"date":"2026-10-05T13:02:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T13:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30540"},"modified":"2026-10-05T13:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T13:02:22","slug":"part-24-the-hidden-foundry-archive-exposed-the-death-behind-the-fleming-fortune-and-thomas-forced-connor-to-face-its-living-witness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30540","title":{"rendered":"PART 24 \u2013 The Hidden Foundry Archive Exposed the Death Behind the Fleming Fortune, and Thomas Forced Connor to Face Its Living Witness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Police refused Thomas\u2019s demand.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas expected that.<\/p>\n<p>At 11:17 p.m., he sent a live video.<\/p>\n<p>Melinda sat on the concrete floor beside a steel support column.<\/p>\n<p>A chain circled her ankle.<\/p>\n<p>She looked exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stood several feet behind her.<\/p>\n<p>In his hand was a thick paper file.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKirsten,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He had contacted my phone again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;m here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConnor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#39;s here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet me see him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Morales shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou still think you control this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen show me Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Morales finally allowed Connor into frame from a protected room.<\/p>\n<p>Connor stood beside me.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s expression changed immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere he is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet Melinda go,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have Noah out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire betrayed me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe saved a child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon&#39;t make her noble.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone makes you noble eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody in this building is doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For once, he was right.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas lifted the file.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know what this is?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour inheritance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter, watching from another room, stiffened.<\/p>\n<p>Connor frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe real one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas, nobody cares about the money right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClearly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas opened the file.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour grandfather stole from his own trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter stepped closer to the monitor.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe moved money through shell companies for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor looked toward Walter.<\/p>\n<p>Walter shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas heard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course Walter says he didn&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that have to do with Melinda?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything has to do with what your family does when someone learns the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas held up a photograph.<\/p>\n<p>A woman stood beside Raymond Vale outside a house.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s my mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was an accountant for your grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe discovered transfers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe told Raymond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father told her to leave it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From another room, Raymond watched.<\/p>\n<p>He looked devastated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe copied records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCar accident.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s what they called it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor looked toward Morales.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think my grandfather killed her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know someone did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvidence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou sound like Kirsten.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I ignored that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat evidence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does it show?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour grandfather paid someone three days before her brakes failed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter spoke loudly enough for the microphone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked toward the screen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichael Fleming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca made a sound behind us.<\/p>\n<p>Connor froze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy biological father?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill protecting him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichael would never\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn&#39;t know Michael as well as you think.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca stepped into view.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShow us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShow me the document.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca\u2014\u201d Morales warned.<\/p>\n<p>She ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are accusing my father of murder, show me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas held the page closer.<\/p>\n<p>The video quality was poor.<\/p>\n<p>But the header was visible.<\/p>\n<p>Fleming Industrial Holdings.<\/p>\n<p>Payment authorization.<\/p>\n<p>Michael\u2019s signature appeared at the bottom.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca went pale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat proves a payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThree days before my mother died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA mechanic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas read it.<\/p>\n<p>Walter recognized it.<\/p>\n<p>I saw that immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho is he?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter did not answer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWalter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father\u2019s driver.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDriver. Mechanic. Fixer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter sat down.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s anger intensified.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mother found your money. Michael authorized the payment. Three days later she died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor said, \u201cWhy would Michael kill her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo protect the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat makes no sense if he was already fighting Walter over it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>There.<\/p>\n<p>A fracture.<\/p>\n<p>Connor saw it too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMichael was challenging Walter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo why protect stolen money that weakened his own claim?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he was part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProof?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn&#39;t proof of purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas moved toward Melinda.<\/p>\n<p>She flinched.<\/p>\n<p>Connor immediately stopped pressing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou win.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Everyone in the room froze.<\/p>\n<p>Connor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou want me there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Morales said.<\/p>\n<p>Connor ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRelease Melinda first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t negotiate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome inside and she walks out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do I know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor laughed quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you&#39;ve learned from my family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n<p>Connor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTrust nobody. Hide evidence. Make everyone prove loyalty. Punish them if they hesitate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s what Raymond taught you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShut up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s what Walter taught me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter lowered his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd apparently what his father taught him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas moved closer to the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think we&#39;re the same?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s hand shook.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou used people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo are you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou lied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo are you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou destroyed Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you&#39;re holding her friend hostage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMelinda isn&#39;t Claire\u2019s friend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. But Noah matters to Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stopped.<\/p>\n<p>Connor continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou saw her leave with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe betrayed me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe chose him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s face twisted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor\u2019s voice softened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe chose not to let a child pay for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Us.<\/p>\n<p>Not you.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time Connor included himself.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>Then Melinda spoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He turned sharply.<\/p>\n<p>She had been quiet throughout the call.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re wrong about the payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas froze.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Michael Fleming payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow would you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Raymond showed me the original file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked toward the camera.<\/p>\n<p>Then back at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYears ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I asked about Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat file has nothing to do with Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was in the same archive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe payment wasn&#39;t authorized by Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has his signature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCopied.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou expect me to believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Melinda\u2019s voice trembled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI expect you to look at the page behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas glanced at the file.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no page behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, there is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He flipped.<\/p>\n<p>Nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Melinda stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen you don&#39;t have the original file.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas went still.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond moved toward the monitor in the other room.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Morales asked him.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond whispered, \u201cShe&#39;s right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is she talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe authorization Thomas has is a copy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf a forgery?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas could hear none of this.<\/p>\n<p>Melinda continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond showed me the original because Ethan\u2019s name was in the same investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s breathing became uneven.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho forged Michael\u2019s signature?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re lying.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRaymond said Walter\u2019s father used Michael\u2019s signature on internal approvals when he wanted transactions hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Walter stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father forged Michael\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca turned on him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI suspected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty-one years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She looked ready to strike him through the glass.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s voice came through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re lying for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Melinda shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas, why would I?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause everyone does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have no reason to protect Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re protecting Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She laughed weakly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have spent the last year learning how badly Connor lied to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor flinched.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Melinda continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am protecting you from killing someone over evidence you misunderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared at her.<\/p>\n<p>His hand lowered.<\/p>\n<p>That was the first opening.<\/p>\n<p>Morales signaled tactical officers.<\/p>\n<p>They were positioned around the foundry but had not entered because of the explosives.<\/p>\n<p>Connor whispered, \u201cKeep him talking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is the original?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He heard me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe original payment authorization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMelinda says you don&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe lies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen ask Raymond.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have him there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPut him on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Morales hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>Then Raymond was brought into the video connection from the secured interview room.<\/p>\n<p>Father and son saw each other.<\/p>\n<p>Neither spoke.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas broke first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond looked exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told me the Flemings killed her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told you I believed someone connected to the money caused her death.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou showed me Michael\u2019s payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI showed you a copy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said it was real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought the signature might be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew it wasn&#39;t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas shouted something incoherent.<\/p>\n<p>Melinda flinched.<\/p>\n<p>Raymond leaned toward the camera.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDon&#39;t call me that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour mother found the missing money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut Michael may not have ordered anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re protecting him now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen who?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond looked toward Walter.<\/p>\n<p>Walter seemed to understand before anyone spoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour mother met Walter\u2019s father two days before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stopped moving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou never told me that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn&#39;t know until later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe offered her money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor silence?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe refused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond\u2019s voice broke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou always know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou investigated everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI couldn&#39;t investigate him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a son.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you let her die.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Raymond closed his eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew she was scared and you did nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told her to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou did nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was a coward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The same word Connor had used in his letter.<\/p>\n<p>Different man.<\/p>\n<p>Same inheritance of fear.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked down.<\/p>\n<p>For several seconds nobody spoke.<\/p>\n<p>Then Melinda moved.<\/p>\n<p>Only slightly.<\/p>\n<p>Her fingers reached toward something near the floor.<\/p>\n<p>A loose length of metal.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stepped toward her.<\/p>\n<p>Connor leaned toward the screen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou wanted me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Morales grabbed Connor\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n<p>Connor ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou release Melinda when I reach the door.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBring the drives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKirsten comes too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I froze.<\/p>\n<p>Connor\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas smiled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause she should hear the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe already has.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas\u2019s smile widened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe hasn&#39;t heard the part about the fertility clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat part?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe part where Connor didn&#39;t just hide his diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas,\u201d Raymond warned.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe part where he changed yours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room went silent.<\/p>\n<p>I could hear my own heartbeat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked directly into the camera.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou spent years thinking your fertility was normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor had gone white.<\/p>\n<p>I turned toward him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is he talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Connor said nothing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConnor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKirsten\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you change?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked down.<\/p>\n<p>And in that moment, before he answered, I knew Part of the truth we had built was about to collapse again.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas spoke for him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConnor paid Raymond to alter one of Kirsten\u2019s medical reports before she ever saw it.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=30542\">Click here to continue reading: PART 25: Connor Admitted He Altered My Fertility Report, but the Reason He Gave Was Worse Than the Lie I Expected<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Police refused Thomas\u2019s demand. Thomas expected that. At 11:17 p.m., he sent a live video. Melinda sat on the concrete floor beside a steel support column. A chain circled her &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30540","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\/30540","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=30540"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30614,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30540\/revisions\/30614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}