Chapter 6 - The Money Was Going to Victor’s Brother
Andrew Blackwood was forty-four.
Older than Victor by four years.
For most of their lives, Andrew had been the expected heir to the family real-estate business.
Victor was the second son.
The software kid.
The one who supposedly wanted nothing to do with Blackwood property.
Then their father died.
And the estate created resentment neither brother recovered from.
Andrew received operating control of several properties.
Victor received more liquid assets.
They disagreed over valuation.
Then lawyers got involved.
Eventually, they stopped speaking.
So why was Serena sending money from Ethan’s care accounts to Andrew’s company?
Victor called him.
Andrew answered on the third ring.
I heard only Victor’s side.
“Did Serena send money to Red Harbor?”
Pause.
“How much?”
Pause.
“No, Andrew.”
Longer pause.
Victor stood.
“What debt?”
He walked toward the window.
Then:
“You told her I knew?”
His voice became cold.
“I didn’t know any of this.”
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
Victor looked almost embarrassed.
Andrew’s company was failing.
Commercial property vacancies.
A badly timed development loan.
Tax pressure.
Two years earlier, Serena had contacted him privately.
She began lending him money.
At first her own.
Then, apparently, Ethan’s.
“Why?” I asked.
Victor shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
That question bothered him more than the amount.
Serena barely liked Andrew.
At least publicly.
She called him arrogant.
Andrew called her a social climber.
Yet dozens of transfers linked them.
Then Andrew called back.
This time Victor put him on speaker.
“Serena said she was using household reimbursement money you’d already approved.”
Victor stared at the phone.
“I approved nothing.”
Andrew went silent.
Then:
“She told me you wanted to help without reopening communication between us.”
That was clever.
Serena had told each brother exactly what allowed the money to move without conversation.
Victor supposedly wanted secrecy because of pride.
Andrew accepted because he needed cash.
Neither compared stories.
Then Andrew said:
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“She said the money was partly repayment.”
Victor frowned.
“Repayment for what?”
Andrew hesitated.
“Laura.”
The room changed.
Victor’s late wife.
“What does Laura have to do with you?”
Andrew exhaled.
“Victor… there are things you don’t know about the year before she died.”
May you like
Victor’s face lost color.
And for the first time, the fraud around Ethan began pointing backward toward his mother.
