Chapter 10 - David Comes Back for Control
The Hale Biotech tower was mostly empty by 10:00 p.m.
Security locked down the building.
Police entered through the loading level.
David drove into the underground garage using an executive access badge.
Claire’s.
They took Laura upstairs.
Why?
Richard knew before anyone said it.
The board vault.
Original governance records.
Trust voting certifications.
Project Orchid documents.
If David could combine Laura’s coerced signature with the false Amendment Seven, he could create a paper trail strong enough to confuse ownership long enough to force a board action.
He did not need permanent legality.
He needed temporary chaos.
Richard arrived across the street.
Ortiz threatened to remove him.
He stayed.
Inside, Claire accessed the executive floor.
Security cameras showed Laura walking between them.
No visible weapon.
But she moved slowly.
Richard saw blood near her hairline.
His daughter.
Alive.
Still fighting.
The feed cut out.
Claire knew the system.
Richard’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
David.
“Hello, brother.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Three years of mourning collapsed into rage.
“You coward.”
David laughed softly.
“That sounds like Dad.”
“Where is Laura?”
“Safe.”
“Let her go.”
“Bring me Margaret’s box.”
Richard looked at Ortiz.
She shook her head.
“Why?”
David’s voice hardened.
“Because Margaret stole documents that belong to me.”
“They prove what you did.”
“They prove nothing.”
“They prove you drugged her.”
Silence.
Then David said:
“Claire handled the medication.”
Richard stared at the phone.
Across the street, Ortiz reacted too.
David continued.
“I told her to scare Margaret. I never told her to poison her.”
There it was.
The first crack between them.
Richard kept him talking.
“Claire thinks you love her.”
“She knows I do.”
“Then why blame her?”
David said nothing.
Richard smiled without humor.
“You’re already preparing your defense.”
The line went quiet.
Then David whispered:
“You always thought you were smarter.”
“No. I thought you were my brother.”
That landed.
For the first time, David’s breathing changed.
Richard continued.
“I paid your debts after you disappeared.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“I protected your name.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“I loved you.”
David snapped:
“You pitied me.”
Richard went silent.
There it was.
The wound beneath everything.
David believed Richard’s love was humiliation.
Help felt like superiority.
Inheritance felt like rejection.
Every kindness became proof of inferiority.
David said:
“Bring the box.”
Richard answered:
“No.”
David laughed.
Then Laura screamed in the background.
Richard’s blood went cold.
“Dad!”
The line disconnected.
Richard moved toward the building.
Ortiz blocked him.
“Absolutely not.”
“My daughter is inside.”
“And if you walk in, you become leverage.”
He hated the truth.
Again.
Then a new message arrived.
From Laura.
A photo of the vault keypad.
Under it:
MOM CHANGED THE CODE.
Richard stared.
Margaret had changed the vault code before she died.
Richard had forgotten.
David probably did not know.
Laura did.
Claire did not.
Which meant they could not access what they came for.
Then another text:
KEEP HIM TALKING.
Laura was not helpless.
She was buying time.
Ortiz smiled faintly.
“Your daughter has a plan.”
May you like
Richard looked at the tower.
“She gets that from her mother.”
