Chapter 16 - Amy’s Secret
I stared at the trust documents.
Two million dollars.
Technically, slightly more.
Amy’s grandmother had created the trust before she died.
Amy gained full control when she turned thirty-five.
Until then, the money remained protected.
Amy had never touched it.
Never used it.
Never even told me.
I should have been angry.
Instead, I was confused.
“Why hide this?”
Amy sat across from me.
“Because I wanted to know our marriage was ours.”
Her father had grown up wealthy.
Money destroyed his family.
Relatives fought constantly over inheritances.
Her grandmother warned her never to let wealth become the foundation of a relationship.
“So you thought I would marry you for money?”
“No.”
“Then why not tell me after we married?”
She looked down.
“Because by then your mother was always asking questions.”
“What questions?”
“How much my parents had.”
“Whether my grandmother owned property.”
“Whether I expected an inheritance.”
I remembered those conversations.
I had thought Teresa was being nosy.
Amy had seen something darker.
“When did she learn about the trust?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel reviewed the paperwork.
The trust itself was secure.
Teresa could not directly touch it.
But Leonard might have seen it as another reason to gain control over me.
If Amy left me and something happened to me, Teresa could fight for access to Frederick.
If Amy died, Frederick would eventually inherit much of her estate.
The implications were horrifying.
Ramirez reopened every message between Teresa and Leonard.
Then he found a deleted exchange.
Leonard:
Wife worth more than expected.
Teresa:
How much?
Leonard:
Enough that child matters.
Teresa:
Frederick stays Bradley.
Amy went completely still.
I felt rage unlike anything I had experienced before.
This had never just been about my house.
Once Teresa learned Amy had wealth, Frederick became financially valuable.
To my mother.
To Leonard.
Maybe to others.
Ramirez assured us there was no direct evidence anyone planned physical harm against Amy.
But the possibility could no longer be dismissed.
Leonard remained in custody.
Gloria was cooperating.
Elaine was cooperating.
Mason was negotiating a plea.
Teresa still refused to admit anything.
Then something surprising happened.
She asked to speak with me.
Alone.
I refused.
I agreed only if Ramirez remained nearby.
Teresa entered the interview room wearing county clothing.
Her hair was messy.
Her authority was gone.
But her eyes still held the same certainty.
“You finally came.”
“I’m here for answers.”
She smiled faintly.
“You always were impatient.”
“Why did you target Amy?”
“I protected you.”
“You humiliated my wife.”
“She was hiding two million dollars.”
“That was none of your business.”
“It became my business when she married my son.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
“You never saw me as your son.”
“You saw me as an investment.”
For the first time, her expression cracked.
Then she leaned toward me.
“You think Leonard is the danger?”
“He isn’t.”
I frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
May you like
She whispered.
“Leonard worked for someone else.”
