Chapter 13
William returned to Laurent’s with the ledger.
Thomas saw it and went pale.
That was satisfying.
Not enough.
Victor whispered something under his breath.
Damian looked ready to disappear into the floor.
William placed the ledger on the table.
“No one touches this.”
Thomas leaned back.
“You don’t understand what you’re holding.”
William looked at him.
“My father’s fear.”
Thomas laughed.
“His foresight.”
“He listed children.”
“Potential claimants.”
“Children.”
“Future adults.”
William’s expression hardened.
“That sentence is how cowards excuse hurting people before they’ve done anything.”
Thomas scoffed.
“Elena filled your head with sentiment.”
“No.”
William looked toward Emma.
“She reminded me I had one.”
Thomas’s face tightened.
William opened the ledger.
“Daniel Reynolds.”
Thomas did not react.
“Crossed out.”
Silence.
“Why?”
“He ran.”
“Wrong.”
William looked at him.
“You killed him.”
Victor looked down.
Thomas’s jaw tightened.
William continued.
“Elena.”
Another crossed-out name.
“Rachel.”
Marked WATCH.
“Emma.”
NO ACCESS.
Thomas leaned forward.
“If you keep letting them back in, every ambitious man connected by blood will eventually use those children against you.”
William nodded.
“Maybe.”
Thomas seemed surprised.
William continued.
“But that risk belongs to me.”
His voice dropped.
“You don’t get to hurt children because you’re afraid of what adults might do around them.”
Thomas smiled bitterly.
“That’s not how this family survives.”
William closed the ledger.
“Then maybe this family deserves to change.”
Silence.
Victor looked at Thomas.
Thomas looked at William.
May you like
And for the first time, the old Parker men understood the real threat was not Emma’s blood.
It was William refusing to inherit their fear.
