Chapter 13 - Priscilla Had Already Been Taking Money Before Wesley DiedSeven transactions.
Then nine.
Then twelve.
North Coast Administrative Partners had received fees connected to Hawthorne deals over four years.
Total:
$3.8 million.
Some services may have been real.
Some descriptions were vague.
"Strategic facilitation."
"Fiduciary coordination."
"Administrative diligence."
Martin had positioned his private company between Hawthorne entities and routine transactions.
Walter looked physically ill.
"My office processed some of these."
Arthur said nothing.
Walter continued.
"I signed two approvals."
"Real signatures?"
"Yes."
"Did you know Martin owned North Coast?"
"No."
"How?"
"It was presented as an external consulting vendor."
"Who presented it?"
"Martin."
Arthur laughed bitterly.
Walter looked ashamed.
"I trusted him."
"So did I."
That ended the blame.
For now.
Then Lydia found payments from North Coast to Bellmere.
Priscilla's company.
$620,000 over four years.
Before Wesley died.
Arthur stared at the table.
"She was already profiting from Hawthorne deals."
"Indirectly."
"Without Wesley knowing."
"Looks that way."
"Without me knowing."
"Yes."
"Did she report the income?"
"Tax records will answer eventually."
Arthur didn't care yet.
He cared about motive.
Priscilla had not begun scheming after becoming a widow.
The financial relationship with Martin ran through her marriage.
Wesley discovered it.
Schedule R followed.
Then Wesley died naturally before resolving the problem.
Priscilla kept going.
Arthur felt another kind of grief.
His son's marriage had been compromised for years.
Maybe not entirely false.
But infected by a hidden partnership.
Priscilla requested a private meeting with Arthur.
Lydia advised against it unless attorneys attended.
Priscilla agreed.
They met at a neutral office.
Priscilla entered wearing a dark suit.
No visible panic.
She looked like the woman Arthur first met at a charity dinner five years earlier.
Elegant.
Confident.
Controlled.
Arthur hated that familiarity still existed.
She sat.
"How is Nolan?"
Arthur did not answer immediately.
"Why?"
"Because I care."
"Do you?"
Her jaw tightened.
"I made a mistake."
Arthur stared.
"In the bathroom?"
"Yes."
"Which part?"
She looked down.
"I lost control."
"No."
Arthur's voice was quiet.
"You didn't."
Priscilla looked up.
"Excuse me?"
"I watched the video."
Her face changed.
Arthur continued.
"You were controlled."
"Arthur—"
"You knew exactly what you were doing."
"I was angry."
"You stopped when he mentioned me."
Silence.
"Then you threatened him with my signature."
Priscilla's eyes filled.
"You think one ugly moment defines four years?"
"No."
Arthur leaned forward.
"Your documents help."
Her attorney shifted.
Priscilla looked at Lydia.
"So that's what this is really about."
Arthur almost laughed.
"What?"
"Money."
There.
She needed the story to become financial.
Because money was easier to argue than what Nolan feared.
"You think I manipulated Nolan to steal from you."
"I think you frightened him because he knew something you wanted hidden."
Priscilla shook her head.
"Nolan has been obsessed with Wesley's papers."
"Because you kept asking."
"I wanted to understand what my husband left."
"Samuel's folder?"
"That man poisoned Wesley against me."
Arthur remained still.
"Martin?"
Priscilla's face barely moved.
Good.
She knew where this was going.
"Martin was our lawyer."
"Your investor."
No answer.
"Your creditor."
Priscilla looked at her attorney.
"Your business partner."
Arthur placed the Bellmere records on the table.
Priscilla went pale.
"Thirty-eight percent of North Coast."
Silence.
"Your company profits if Harbor Ridge gets control."
She whispered:
"It's an investment."
"Undisclosed."
"Martin handled disclosures."
"To whom?"
No answer.
Arthur placed the side letter next.
Priscilla stared.
Her composure cracked.
"Where did you get that?"
Arthur heard Lydia shift beside him.
The question was almost an admission.
"Does it matter?"
Priscilla looked away.
Arthur continued.
"Wesley had it."
Her eyes filled.
"He was spying on me."
"He was protecting his son."
"He was destroying our marriage."
"Which part?"
Arthur's voice remained calm.
"The part where he discovered you were secretly profiting from family transactions?"
Priscilla slammed her palm on the table.
"I gave up my life for Wesley."
There.
Real anger.
"I moved into his world. Raised his child. Sat through dinners where everyone treated me like a replacement wife."
Arthur listened.
"I was never Catherine."
"No."
"I was never Eleanor."
"No."
"Bernice watched everything I did."
"She worked there."
"Wesley questioned every dollar after he became suspicious."
Arthur leaned forward.
"Then leave."
Priscilla froze.
"You could have divorced him."
Her face changed.
"I loved him."
Arthur believed her.
That was the uncomfortable part.
"You can love someone and still betray them."
Priscilla started crying.
"I was trying to build security."
"You received six million dollars."
"That's not security in your world."
Arthur stared.
"Then your problem was your world."
The words hit.
Priscilla looked toward the window.
After a moment:
"Martin said Hawthorne would never treat me as family after Wesley was gone."
"Was he wrong?"
Priscilla laughed bitterly.
"You supported me as guardian. You didn't give me a seat."
"A seat where?"
"At the company."
"You didn't work there."
"I was Wesley's wife."
Arthur's expression hardened.
"Marriage is not a job title."
Silence.
Priscilla wiped her eyes.
"Martin said we could protect Nolan's branch from being swallowed by yours."
Arthur almost admired the inversion.
They were stealing control to save the child.
"Did Nolan ask for that?"
"He's nine."
"Then stop using him as justification."
Priscilla looked at Arthur.
"You think Wesley was perfect?"
"No."
"You think he didn't hide things?"
"He did."
"You think he didn't threaten me?"
Arthur became still.
"What threats?"
"Financial."
"Explain."
"He told me if I challenged Schedule R, he'd leave me with nothing."
"Prenup says six million."
Priscilla looked away.
Arthur understood.
Nothing meant not enough.
Then Lydia spoke for the first time.
"Did Martin send emails from Arthur's account?"
Priscilla froze.
Her attorney immediately intervened.
"We're not answering that."
Arthur looked at her.
"Did you know?"
No answer.
"Did you show one to Bernice?"
Priscilla's eyes flickered.
Arthur knew.
Then Lydia asked:
"Did you provide information for Arthur's draft capacity affidavit?"
The attorney stopped the meeting.
Priscilla stood.
But before leaving, she turned to Arthur.
"Martin told me it was contingency planning."
Arthur stared.
Her lawyer closed his eyes.
Priscilla realized what she'd admitted.
She knew about the affidavit.
Perhaps not every detail.
But she knew they were preparing to challenge Arthur's capacity.
"Why?" Arthur asked.
Priscilla said nothing.
"Why prepare to declare me incapable if you expected me to sign voluntarily?"
Her face collapsed.
There was no good answer.
She walked out.
Arthur watched the door close.
Lydia exhaled.
"That was useful."
Arthur felt no satisfaction.
Because Priscilla's most believable statement was also the most painful.
She probably had loved Wesley.
And still betrayed him.
People liked villains who never loved anyone.
They were easier to understand.
Priscilla was worse.
May you like
She loved.
Then decided love entitled her to more.
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