CHAPTER 13 — THE FINAL HEIR
Khloe moved Hope to a federal safe house.
Only four people knew the location.
Khloe.
Harrison.
Lena.
And the supervising federal agent.
Hope did not understand why they had left home.
She believed the safe house was a hotel and demanded pancakes for dinner.
Khloe smiled for her daughter.
Then she cried silently in the bathroom after Hope fell asleep.
Every decision Daniel had made to protect his family had created another secret.
Every secret had become a weapon.
Khloe would not repeat his mistakes.
The next morning, she sat beside Hope on the living room floor.
“There are some people who are angry with Mommy,” she said carefully.
“Did you take their crayons?”
“No.”
“Did Uncle Harrison?”
“Probably at some point.”
Hope considered this.
“Then he should say sorry.”
Khloe almost laughed.
Instead, she held her daughter tightly.
“I need you to stay close to me and Uncle Harrison for a while.”
Hope touched her face.
“Are you scared?”
Khloe decided to tell the truth.
“A little.”
Hope kissed her cheek.
“Now you’re better.”
At headquarters, Rachel Monroe examined the trust documents.
She discovered a clause no one had noticed.
If Khloe died or became legally incapacitated, all controlling interests passed immediately to Hope.
Thomas could not gain Meridian by harming Khloe.
But he could control the assets if he became Hope’s court-appointed financial guardian.
“How could he ever become her guardian?” Khloe asked.
“He couldn’t,” Rachel said. “Unless every qualified family member was removed.”
Khloe understood.
Thomas had attacked her credibility.
He had framed Harrison.
He had tried to force Emma to claim ownership.
He was eliminating every adult who could protect Hope’s inheritance.
“There is someone else,” Harrison said.
“Who?”
“Richard.”
As Hope’s legal father, Richard still possessed limited parental status despite his conviction.
If Khloe were declared unfit and Harrison remained under indictment, Richard could petition the court to nominate a financial guardian.
Thomas had promised to help reduce Richard’s sentence.
In return, Richard could nominate Thomas.
Richard had never wanted custody of Hope.
He wanted access to what she owned.
Harrison arranged a prison meeting.
Khloe sat across from Richard behind reinforced glass.
“You’re helping a man who threatened your daughter,” she said.
“I didn’t know he would go that far.”
“You always say that after someone gets hurt.”
Richard’s face looked older.
Prison had stripped away the polished confidence that once made people trust him.
“I can stop him,” Richard said.
“How?”
“Thomas contacts me through attorney-client messages. I can arrange a meeting.”
“And what do you want?”
“A public statement saying I tried to save Hope.”
“No.”
“Khloe—”
“You don’t get to rewrite yourself as her protector.”
“Then Thomas will disappear.”
“Let him.”
“He has people inside your company.”
Khloe went still.
Richard leaned closer to the glass.
“One of them knows where Hope is.”
At that moment, Khloe’s phone vibrated.
The safe house alarm had been triggered.
Harrison called.
May you like
His voice was breathless.
“Khloe, Hope is gone.”
