“What is this?”
My father remained silent.
I looked at him.
“You knew.”
He finally spoke.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“Nathan—”
“You knew Grandpa was alive.”
Silence.
My father looked away.
My stepbrother stared at him.
“You told me Grandpa died before I was born.”
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
My father had no answer.
I turned toward the board.
“My grandfather sent thirty-two letters.”
Richard nodded.
“Thirty-two documented pieces of correspondence.”
“None of which Nathan received,” Margaret said.
She looked directly at my father.
“Why?”
My father clenched his jaw.
“I didn’t think James had good intentions.”
Margaret’s voice grew colder.
“That doesn’t explain why you destroyed the correspondence.”
My father looked at me.
“You were a child.”
“I was sixteen when the first letter arrived.”
He froze.
“You knew?”
I asked.
“You knew I was waiting for answers.”
My father’s expression cracked.
“I was trying to protect this family.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I pointed toward the documents.
“You were protecting yourself.”
My stepbrother suddenly stood. “Dad?”
Everyone turned toward him.
He swallowed hard.
“Did you really take Nathan’s money?”
My father said nothing.
My stepbrother looked horrified.
