Chapter 16 - ELEANOR'S GUILT
Marcus told the story in a hospital room under guard.
Frances ordered him to follow Sofia and recover the audit files.
He chased her.
She crashed.
He panicked.
Frances paid him to stay silent.
But Eleanor found out two days later.
“What did she do?” Cedric asked.
Marcus looked at Alonzo.
“She covered it up.”
Alonzo went still.
Cedric shook his head.
“No.”
“She thought exposing Frances would destroy the company and leave Maisie without anything. So she paid Sofia’s family settlement through an insurance shell and buried the internal report.”
Alonzo looked like he had been punched.
Cedric whispered, “She wrote the testimony later.”
“Guilt changes people.”
The truth hurt because it was not clean.
Eleanor had tried to fix what she once helped hide.
She had still hidden it.
Alonzo walked out.
Cedric followed him to the parking lot.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for her.”
“I’m not.”
Alonzo looked at him.
“For three years, I told Maisie her mother’s death was meaningless bad luck. Meanwhile your family knew.”
“My mother knew.”
“And protected the Blackwood name.”
Cedric nodded.
“Yes.”
It was the hardest word he had said all week.
Alonzo looked away.
“I don’t know if I can work for you anymore.”
“You don’t have to.”
That surprised him.
Cedric continued.
“But help me finish this first.”
Alonzo was silent.
Then Cedric’s phone rang.
Frances.
He answered on speaker.
Her voice was calm.
“You found Marcus.”
“Yes.”
“Then you know your mother wasn’t innocent.”
“I know.”
Frances laughed softly.
“Good. Now come alone if you want the original Orchid ledger.”
“Where?”
“The place where your mother chose the company over the truth.”
May you like
Alonzo knew before Cedric did.
Sofia’s crash site.
