Chapter 15 - The Press Conference
The Mercer Foundation auditorium was full.
Reporters lined the rear wall.
Cameras filled the aisles.
Richard stood beneath the Mercer crest.
Gray suit.
Silver tie.
Perfect posture.
He looked exactly like a man who believed he could manage any crisis.
Daniel knew that look.
His father had worn it.
Richard began with concern.
He spoke about "family instability."
He spoke about Daniel's "emotional state."
He described the accusations surrounding Claire as "deeply unfortunate."
Then he made the mistake of mentioning Emily.
"Ms. Reed has a documented history of seeking financial payments from the Mercer family."
The auditorium doors opened.
Emily walked in.
Conversation stopped.
Daniel entered beside her.
Then Claire.
Then Susan and Robert Alden.
Noah remained with Margaret.
He had complained for thirty minutes.
Daniel promised he could watch on television.
Richard stopped speaking.
Daniel saw the moment control left his face.
Only for a second.
But it happened.
Reporters surged.
Questions flew.
Daniel did not answer.
Claire did.
"My name is Claire Alden."
The room quieted.
"I'm nineteen years old."
"I did not ask to be part of the Mercer family."
"I did not ask for their money."
"I did not ask for reporters outside my parents' house."
She looked at Richard.
"But Mr. Mercer has publicly called me fraudulent."
Richard's lawyer moved toward the podium.
Claire continued.
"So I took a DNA test."
She held up the report.
"Daniel Mercer is my biological father."
Chaos.
Questions erupted.
Richard stepped away.
Daniel watched him.
Not the reporters.
Not cameras.
Richard.
A man was most honest in the second before he rebuilt the mask.
Richard looked frightened.
Emily took the microphone next.
"My daughter was taken from me nineteen years ago through a fraudulent adoption."
She placed the original agreement on the table.
"My signature was forged."
"Her death certificate was fabricated."
"Money was paid through Mercer-controlled accounts."
Richard interrupted.
"These claims are under investigation."
Daniel finally stepped forward.
"Correct."
Cameras turned.
"And I intend to cooperate with every part of that investigation."
A reporter shouted.
"Mr. Mercer, did your father arrange the adoption?"
Daniel looked directly into the lens.
"Yes."
The room went silent.
Richard stared at him.
Daniel continued.
"My father, Thomas Mercer, arranged for my daughter to be removed from her mother without our informed consent."
"He lied to me."
"He lied to Emily."
"He allowed us to believe our child had died."
A public-relations adviser near the wall shook her head frantically.
Daniel ignored her.
"Did Richard Mercer participate?"
another reporter asked.
Daniel paused.
"We have documents bearing his signature."
Richard approached.
"Daniel, enough."
Daniel turned.
"For twenty years, everyone in this family has said that word when truth became inconvenient."
Enough.
Don't ask.
Don't look.
Move on.
Protect the name.
Daniel faced the cameras again.
"No."
"Not enough."
"Not anymore."
The board members watching from the first row shifted uncomfortably.
Daniel continued.
"The Mercer name is not more important than the people it hurt."
Richard's face reddened.
"You are destroying your father's legacy."
Daniel looked at him.
"My father did that himself."
Richard lost control.
"You ungrateful little—"
He stopped.
Too late.
Cameras captured everything.
Claire stepped beside Daniel.
Richard stared at her.
Something almost like grief crossed his face.
"You don't understand what your grandfather intended."
Claire answered.
"I understand what he did."
Richard pointed toward Emily.
"She took money."
Emily nodded.
"I did."
That surprised him.
She continued.
"I took $250,000 from you."
Reporters reacted.
Emily did not flinch.
"And then I spent almost every dollar searching for the daughter you helped hide."
Silence.
Even Daniel had not expected her to say it so publicly.
Emily looked toward the cameras.
"I was ashamed for years."
"I'm not anymore."
"I did what I had to do to keep my son housed and continue searching for my child."
Richard's lawyer whispered in his ear.
He tried to leave.
Detective Shaw appeared near the exit.
Two investigators stood beside her.
Richard stopped.
Shaw approached.
"Mr. Mercer, we need to speak with you concerning financial records related to the Olivia Mercer Trust."
Richard looked at Daniel.
"This isn't over."
Daniel nodded.
"I know."
Richard was escorted away.
Not arrested.
Not yet.
But the image traveled across every television network by evening.
Claire watched from Daniel's living room.
Noah sat beside her eating popcorn.
When Richard disappeared through the auditorium doors on screen, Noah asked, "Is he going to jail?"
Daniel said, "I don't know."
"Did he do bad things?"
"Yes."
"Then why don't you know?"
Daniel thought.
"Because truth and punishment aren't always the same thing."
Noah frowned.
"That's stupid."
Claire smiled.
"He's right."
Daniel nodded.
"Unfortunately."
For the first time in days, the room felt almost normal.
Then Marcus entered.
His expression told Daniel something had changed.
"What?"
"Richard's attorneys just produced a document."
"What kind?"
"A second trust amendment."
Daniel's stomach tightened.
"Meaning?"
Marcus looked at Claire.
"If it's valid, Claire doesn't inherit the trust."
"Who does?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Daniel."
Everyone looked at him.
Daniel stared.
"Me?"
"All $486 million."
Claire went still.
And Daniel understood Richard's next move.
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If the document was real, Richard could make it appear that Daniel had manufactured the entire scandal to take his daughter's money.
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