Chapter 3 - The Friday Deadline
Wednesday and Thursday passed in a blur of tactical planning.
I acted as if everything was normal.
I sent Damian a text saying I was staying with my father to "help him with his confusion."
Damian’s reply was perfect.
"You're so brave, honey. Tell Walter I'm thinking of him."
I wanted to vomit.
Friday morning arrived with a gray, oppressive sky.
I was back under the kitchen table.
This time, I wasn't just holding a phone.
I had a wireless microphone clipped to the underside of the walnut wood.
And I had a video feed from a hidden camera in the spice rack.
My father sat at the table, a pen in his hand.
He looked tired. He looked old.
It was the performance of a lifetime.
The doorbell rang at exactly 10:00 AM.
Damian walked in, followed by a man in a clinical white coat.
"Walter, this is Dr. Sterling," Damian said.
"He’s here to witness the signing. To make sure everything is... ethical."
I watched the screen on my phone.
The man in the white coat wasn't a doctor.
He was the "lot manager" from Damian’s car dealership.
"Good morning, Mr. Campbell," the fake doctor said.
"How are we feeling today? Any more lapses in memory?"
My father looked down at the paper.
"I... I think I'm ready," my father said, his voice shaking.
"Good man," Damian said, leaning over him.
"Just sign here, and Apex will take care of the rest."
"And the diamonds, Damian?" my father asked suddenly.
The room went deathly silent.
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
"What did you say?"
"The diamonds," my father repeated. "My father’s vault. You found it, didn't you?"
"You've been scanning the basement floors while I was sleeping."
Damian’s friendly mask didn't just slip; it evaporated.
His face turned into something sharp and predatory.
"So, the old man isn't as senile as we thought," Damian hissed.
"Yes, Walter. I found the vault. It’s right under the furnace."
"But you don't have the combination. And I do."
"And once you sign this house over to Apex, I own the land, the house, and everything beneath it."
"What about Laura?" my father asked.
Damian laughed, a cold, dry sound.
"Laura is a means to an end. Once this is done, I'm heading back to Sarah."
"She’s been waiting twelve years for this payday."
"Laura will get a nice divorce settlement... maybe."
"Now sign the damn paper."
He grabbed my father’s hand, forcing the pen toward the signature line.
"Sign it, Walter! Or I’ll have Sterling here testify that you attacked him!"
It was the moment I had been waiting for.
I didn't come out from under the table.
I hit a button on my phone.
The house’s smart-speakers, which I had spent Thursday evening re-configuring, blasted Damian’s own voice.
"Marrying into this family was the most strategic move I ever made."
The sound echoed through the kitchen.
Damian froze.
"Sarah’s been waiting twelve years for this payday."
Damian’s head whipped around, looking for the source of the sound.
"Who's there?" he screamed.
I crawled out from under the table.
I stood up, holding my phone high.
"The accountant is here, Damian," I said.
May you like
"And I’ve just finished the audit."
***
