Chapter 11 - Tyler Admits He Deleted Sarah’s Emails
Tyler had one more secret.
After Sarah died, he accessed Diane’s old email archive.
He found the messages about the deed.
He deleted several.
Why?
He feared Ava and Ryan would discover the truth and sue.
His business had survived partly because of the original loan.
He believed exposure could destroy everything he had rebuilt.
Ryan stared at him.
“You knew our mother had challenged the deed.”
“Yes.”
“For four years.”
“Yes.”
The ballroom punch suddenly looked different.
Tyler had not attacked Ryan only because his mother had been shoved into
a chair.
He had also been terrified.
The fundraiser confrontation threatened a secret he had helped bury.
Still, his fear did not justify throwing the punch.
Nor did Ryan’s anger justify anything beyond defending himself.
Both men agreed to provide statements about the fight.
Tyler also turned over an old hard drive containing some deleted emails.
Digital specialists recovered additional messages.
One was from Sarah to Tyler:
THIS HOUSE IS NOT ABOUT MONEY. IT IS ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE STILL A FAMILY
WHEN THE TRUTH COSTS US SOMETHING.
May you like
Tyler read it and cried.
He had spent four years answering that question badly.
