Peter sat down.
Not because he was calm.
Because his legs had stopped feeling reliable.
He looked at Elena.
“Did he hate us?”
The question changed the room.
Elena’s anger flickered.
“What?”
Peter stared at the floor.
“At the end.”
Henry said:
“Don’t.”
Peter ignored him.
“Did Dad hate us?”
Elena’s expression softened.
“No.”
Peter nodded once.
That seemed worse.
Caroline wiped her face.
“Then why?”
Nobody answered.
She looked at Simon.
“If he didn’t hate us, why would he do this?”
Simon hesitated.
Then reached for another envelope.
Henry noticed.
“What is that?”
Simon did not answer immediately.
Elena looked surprised.
For the first time that morning, genuinely surprised.
Simon said:
“Julian anticipated that question.”
Henry stared.
“What does that mean?”
“He left a letter.”
Caroline laughed bitterly.
“Of course he did.”
Simon looked at Elena.
“He instructed me to read it only if the family contested his intentions.”
Henry snapped:
“We’re not contesting anything.”
Caroline turned.
“You just accused her of manipulating him.”
“That doesn’t mean legally.”
Simon removed the letter.
Henry stepped forward.
“No.”
Simon looked at him.
Henry’s voice became urgent.
“Don’t read that.”
Everyone stared.
Peter frowned.
“Why?”
Henry did not answer.
Peter stood.
“Henry.”
“Because he’s dead.”
Peter stared.
Henry’s eyes were red.
“Because he’s dead and I’m sick of him still controlling the room.”
That was the first honest thing Henry had said all morning.
Simon slowly lowered the paper.
Elena looked at Henry.
Something almost like sympathy passed between them.
Then Caroline ruined it.
“Convenient.”
Henry turned.
“What?”
“You don’t want it read.”
“Caroline.”
“Why?”
“Stop.”
She moved closer.
“What did you do?”
Henry’s face tightened.
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Caroline looked at Simon.
“Read it.”
Henry shouted:
“DON’T.”
Simon hesitated.
Elena looked at Henry.
“Why?”
Henry stared at her.
She saw fear.
Not anger.
Fear.
“Henry.”
He said nothing.
Elena’s voice lowered.
“What happened?”
Henry looked away.
Caroline whispered:
“Oh my God.”
Peter frowned.
“What?”
Caroline stared at Henry.
“That’s why.”
Henry shouted:
“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!”
“What did you do?”
“NOTHING!”
Simon finally spoke.
“Henry borrowed against his future inheritance.”
Silence.
Henry turned on him.
“You had no right.”
Simon remained calm.
“Julian discussed it with me.”
Peter stared at his brother.
“How much?”
Henry said nothing.
Caroline laughed in disbelief.
“How much?”
“Stop.”
“HOW MUCH?”
Simon answered.
“Eight million pounds.”
Peter actually stepped backward.
Caroline’s mouth opened.
Elena stared at Henry.
“Eight?”
Henry’s face was burning.
“It was an investment.”
Caroline screamed:
“EIGHT MILLION POUNDS?”
“It went wrong!”
“What went wrong?”
“My company.”
“You don’t have a company.”
“I had one.”
Caroline laughed.
“Oh my God.”
Henry shouted:
“STOP LAUGHING!”
“You lost eight million pounds?”
“I DIDN’T LOSE IT!”
“Where is it?”
Henry did not answer.
Caroline’s laugh disappeared.
“Where is it?”
He looked at the floor.
Peter whispered:
“Jesus.”
Henry shouted suddenly:
“DAD KNEW!”
Everyone stopped.
Henry’s chest rose and fell.
“He knew.”
His voice cracked.
“He knew before Christmas.”
Elena looked at him.
“And?”
Henry laughed through tears.
“And he said he’d fix it.”
Simon looked down.
Henry turned toward him.
“He said he’d fix it!”
Simon replied quietly:
“He did.”
Henry stared.
“What?”
“The debt was settled.”
Henry went silent.
Simon continued.
“Three weeks before his death.”
Henry’s face changed.
“Then why change the will?”
Simon looked at him.
“Because settling your debt was the inheritance he chose to give you early.”
Henry stared at him.
Nobody spoke.
Caroline slowly sat down.
Peter looked away.
Elena seemed almost physically struck by the information.
Henry’s eyes filled.
“That bastard.”
Peter looked at him.
Henry laughed, crying now.
“He never told me.”
Simon said:
“He didn’t want your gratitude.”
Henry’s face twisted.
“Then what did he want?”
Simon looked at the letter.
“According to this?”
Henry swallowed.
“What?”
Simon opened it.
“He wanted you to stop waiting for him to die before you learned how to live without his money.”
Henry shut his eyes.
