Chapter 6 - What Franklin Recognized
The black envelope struck Franklin’s beer bottle.
His irritation turned to confusion.
Then suspicion.
He tore it open.
The first page displayed the seal of Briggs-Camden Protective Holdings.
Franklin’s face changed instantly.
Colton noticed.
“What is that?”
“Nothing.”
Derek leaned closer.
Franklin pulled the document against his chest.
Maris placed the Jaguar key beside his plate.
The metallic click silenced the table.
Colton reached toward the open folder.
Maris’s palm struck the paper before he could touch it.
“Don’t touch what you never paid for.”
Franklin looked at the key.
Then toward the black Jaguar parked near the deck.
“You stole my car?”
“It was never legally yours.”
“That car belongs to the company.”
“The title says otherwise.”
“You changed it.”
“No. You signed it.”
Franklin looked at the signature page again.
His own handwriting was unmistakable.
The date was twelve years old.
Elaine lowered the salad bowl.
Colton stood halfway.
“Dad?”
Franklin ignored him.
“Where did you get this?”
“Walter kept the originals.”
“He had no authority.”
“He witnessed the agreement.”
“It was temporary.”
“The repayment deadline passed.”
“I repaid you.”
Maris held his stare.
“When?”
Franklin’s mouth tightened.
“Over the years.”
“How much?”
“I supported you.”
“That is not repayment.”
“I paid your salary.”
“For work I performed.”
“I gave you bonuses.”
“Those were earned.”
Franklin’s voice rose.
“You would have nothing without me.”
Maris tapped her phone.
The recording screen remained paused but visible.
“You might want to be careful.”
Franklin noticed it.
His rage turned quieter.
More dangerous.
“Are you recording this family?”
“I preserve important conversations now.”
Elaine’s hand trembled.
Franklin saw it.
His eyes narrowed.
“Where is the ledger?”
The question escaped before he could stop it.
Colton frowned.
“What ledger?”
Derek looked toward Elaine.
Maris felt a rush of cold certainty.
Franklin had just confirmed that the second set of records existed.
Her phone had captured it.
She leaned slightly across the table.
“The one you told Mom never to touch?”
Elaine went pale.
Franklin stood so quickly his chair scraped across the deck.
“Elaine.”
She stepped backward.
The salad spoon fell into the bowl.
Then she looked at Maris.
“It’s under his chair.”
May you like
Every person at the table froze.
👉 Elaine had hidden the ledger within arm’s reach of Franklin—and he had spent the entire lunch sitting above the proof of his fraud.
