Chapter 13 - Kyle’s Offer
Kyle sat across from Chloe in a conference room at the county courthouse.
His attorney was beside him.
Marissa sat beside Chloe.
Norman remained near the end of the table, his cane resting against his chair.
Kyle looked tired, but not defeated.
“I can fix this,” he said.
Chloe placed the recovered video transcript on the table.
“You cannot erase what you did.”
“My mother and Heather went too far.”
“You told them to create evidence against my father.”
“I never told them to hurt him.”
“You told them to keep him there.”
Kyle leaned forward.
“The company was days from collapse. Hundreds of people would have lost deposits and jobs.”
“Because you took the escrow money.”
“I borrowed it.”
“Without permission.”
“I intended to replace every dollar.”
“With money stolen against my father’s farm.”
Kyle looked toward Norman.
“The farm would have been sold eventually.”
Norman’s expression did not change.
“Not to you.”
Kyle turned back to Chloe.
“I can testify against Daniel. I can recover part of the money. But I need your cooperation.”
“What cooperation?”
“You tell investigators you knew about the marriage account.”
Marissa immediately objected.
Kyle continued.
“If Chloe confirms the account was jointly managed, the case becomes a failed business transaction instead of intentional fraud.”
“You want your wife to confess to a crime you committed,” Norman said.
Kyle ignored him.
“In return, I will sign away any claim to the lake house and the family trust.”
Chloe almost laughed.
“You have no claim to either.”
“As your husband, I have rights.”
“Not to premarital trust property.”
His confidence flickered.
Kyle had spent years telling Susan and Heather that the house was his.
He had begun believing it himself.
Chloe removed her wedding ring.
She placed it on the table.
“I am filing for divorce.”
Kyle stared at the ring.
“You’re emotional.”
“No. For the first time in years, I am seeing clearly.”
“You’ll regret destroying everything we built.”
“You destroyed it when you made my father kneel to protect your lie.”
Norman stood carefully.
Kyle finally looked at him.
“You could have helped all of us.”
Norman gripped his cane.
“I tried to help my daughter. You used that love against me.”
He paused.
“But you made one mistake.”
Kyle’s jaw tightened.
“What mistake?”
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“You thought being old meant I would be too ashamed to tell the truth.”
👉 Norman refused Kyle’s bargain, and within hours the people closest to Kyle began making deals of their own.
