Chapter 14 - The Things Daniel Surrendered
Daniel began dismantling his empire himself.
The first week, he turned over company records.
The second, he identified illegal accounts.
The third, he gave prosecutors names.
Former allies called.
Some begged.
Some threatened.
Some reminded him what loyalty meant.
Daniel stopped answering.
Lucas returned to the mansion only after every member of security had been replaced.
The red door remained open.
Caroline's rooms were cleaned.
Not erased.
Cleaned.
Lucas chose one photograph for his bedroom.
Natalie placed it beside his bed.
One evening, she found Daniel packing boxes in his office.
“What are those?”
“Evidence.”
“For court?”
“Yes.”
“You really are doing it.”
He looked at her.
“You sound surprised.”
“I didn't think men like you gave things up easily.”
“We don't.”
Daniel closed a box.
“We wait until keeping them costs more.”
Natalie glanced toward the hallway.
“Lucas?”
“Yes.”
Daniel sat.
“I built this because I thought power meant nobody could take anything from me.”
He looked around.
“Then Caroline died.”
His voice lowered.
“And Lucas learned to fear every person who said they cared about him.”
Natalie remained silent.
Daniel continued.
“I had everything.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You had control.”
Natalie softened.
“That isn't the same thing.”
Daniel nodded.
The next morning, prosecutors announced charges against several Brooks associates.
Daniel's cooperation became public.
Reporters surrounded the gates.
Headlines called him traitor.
Informer.
Crime boss turned witness.
One headline called him coward.
Lucas saw it on a phone belonging to a kitchen worker.
“What is coward?”
Natalie took the phone.
“Someone who is afraid to do the hard thing.”
“Is Daddy one?”
Natalie looked across the room.
Daniel had heard.
He approached.
“Sometimes.”
Lucas frowned.
Daniel knelt.
“Courage doesn't mean you're never a coward.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means sometimes you do the right thing while you're scared.”
Lucas considered.
“Like when I left red marks?”
Daniel smiled.
“Exactly like that.”
Lucas looked proud.
Then he asked.
“Are you scared now?”
Daniel looked toward the cameras beyond the gate.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Daniel blinked.
“Why good?”
Lucas shrugged.
“Now you can be brave.”
Natalie laughed.
Daniel did too.
It was one of the first times Lucas had ever heard his father laugh without tension behind it.
But that night, another envelope arrived.
Inside was a photograph of Natalie leaving the grocery store.
Written across it were six words.
May you like
You are changing the wrong man.
Adrian was still watching.
