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BRIAN

 

Justin led Hill and Caraway to where he put the things he left at George’s, before going to check on Hunter. When we got to the house, Ted was sitting in the kitchen still reading through documents. I sat Justin down and got us something to eat because we had been going non-stop all day.

 

“Where is everyone?” I ask.

 

“George said he wanted to work in his garden, Hunter went with him. Mel and Lindsay disappeared earlier to their room. I’m not sure where Emmett went but he called for George a little while ago and said he was on his way back. Blake said he needed to check in with a patient.” Ted answers, still reading.

 

“Find anything?” Justin asks.

 

“I’m comparing the two files to see where changes happened, and there aren’t amounts that would raise flags about where they money came from. Since it’s not more than what the companies would bring in on an average. It’s just no company continuously brings in the average, losses happen, the market raises, but everything seems to stay the same every quarter in all the companies Julian’s family owns. Either Julian was an idiot or incredibly smart about how he did this.” Ted said looking up, with a smile.

 

“Why do you think that?” Justin asks.

 

“The accounts don’t list exactly where the money came from, but that’s normal... to just list them as profits. I can at least tell you how the money disappears. It was part of his charitable contribution he required every company under the Yates umbrella to have as he acquired them. Which means I can also give you an idea of exactly how much the side venture is likely taking in, because I don’t get the feeling Julian’s this autrusic. It’s smart, because it happens all the time in business and no one would really look too hard at how he did it. What makes him not so smart is that he didn’t just do this in one of his companies, but spread it out through all of them, probably trying to launder the money in smaller amounts throughout all his companies. If I’m right he’ll lose everything, because he didn’t confine it to a small part of his corporation, but to every inch of it. Which is me guessing at what I’m seeing now that I’ve had time. What about you two?” Ted asks us.

 

“If we can trust the author of those files, Julian’s downfall might be on a thumb dri…” 

 

“Can you guys come with us? I think George is going need our support.” Emmett came in, interrupting Justin.

 

“This is private family business.” The guy admonishes Emmett.

 

George came in the backdoor with Hunter behind him upon hearing his son. “Then why are you here, since you haven’t consider me family in years? The people you see around you, this is the only family I’ve had since mine wanted nothing to do with me.” George tells him.

 

“I think it’s more that he doesn’t want anyone to hear that he isn’t better than everyone else. I mean, your son, the find upstanding man he is, apparently was the drug supplier for most of the elite, and your wife was busy getting it on with her best friend’s baby boy. Which only gave Carter reasons to blackmail him into doing what Carter wanted... a little chance at buggering Georgie Jr here. Luckily he got rescued in time. But I bet they were just looking for something to get rid of Carter for… A guess on my part, since according to Jr here you aren’t with me because of my brain.” Emmett tells him.

 

Emmett nudged Jr, who stood there still trying to look superior. “I think he deserves to hear what I haven’t told him, from you.” Emmett tells him.

 

“It doesn’t matter.” George Jr tells him.

 

“It will to your father. Because you caused the shit he was trying to fix because he loved you. I think he deserves to know there’s a better option than continuing to support a family that abandoned him. He could have a grandchild who might be happy to have George for the wonderful person he is.” Emmett tells everyone.

 

“WHAT?” George asks, astonished at the revelation.

 

“I don’t even know what happened to the baby. Mom took care of it.” George Jr said, not even sounding like he cared.

 

“Apparently since it was the maid’s daughter he knocked up, your wife seemed to forget the baby would have still have been your grandchild.” Emmett filled in.

 

“I knew I should have forbidden Caroline from bringing Jennifer to work with her. Not because I would have had a problem with a relationship between my son and her. Because I would have supported one if my son wasn’t the self-entitled child he was. What did you do, convince her eventually you two could be more?” George asks, looking disappointed.

 

“She thought my attention meant something, and I let her, since she was so easy.” George Jr sneered at his father.

 

“What happened to her and the baby?” George asked.

 

“Who cares. Mom caught her stealing and fired Caroline, making sure everyone knew not to help them. You didn’t even question it when you came home and we had a new maid.” He tells George.

 

“Did you even care that it was your child? That was tossed out with nothing?” George asked.

 

“It was a mistake, nothing more, to me.” He tells his father.

 

“Your mother wouldn’t have left something like that without assurances it wouldn’t come back later.” George tells him.

 

“Jennifer didn’t have a lot of choices. Mom made sure of it. When the baby was born Mom took care of it and made sure Jennifer knew if she said anything she’d go to jail.” He tells George.

 

“How did she take care of it?” George asked, furious at his wife and son, and worried for an innocent life

 

“She told me the kid was where it wouldn’t bother us anymore… She didn’t hurt the kid if that’s what your thinking. She said he would have a family. I made sure. I’m not as heartless as you seem to be thinking I was.” He told him.

 

“It was a boy?” George asked.

 

“That’s what she told me.” He tells him.

 

“I need to find Jennifer and help her. Then I’m going to deal with your mother once and for all.” George tells him.

 

“We did what we had to in order to save our names. Trust me Jennifer knows what will happen if she talks to you.” He tells George.

 

“Only because she believes you and your mother hold some kind of power. Which you won’t when I get finished with you. Don’t think because your mother still has her family’s backing that losing mine won’t tip the scales drastically. She married me because I raised her standing, not the other way around. My grandchild will get what you don’t deserve for what you’ve done to him.” George tells him.

 

“You can’t cut us out! I’ll sue to make sure that never happens!” He tells George, making all of us laugh at what was really important to him.

 

“Get a good lawyer son, and warn your mother that when I’m through she’ll be explaining why she was sleeping with Dorothy's sixteen year old son. And trying not to look like the monster she is for abandoning her grandson. I have no problem explaining to my board that you shouldn’t represent them when your past proves you’re no better than a drug peddler and someone who can’t accept their responsibilities.” George tells him.

 

“You can’t prove any of this.” George tells him.

 

“He won’t have to, since I recorded it, on my phone.” Hunter smiles to Emmett.

 

“See, I actually do have a brain.” Emmett tells George Jr.

 

“Since I’m really disgusted by hearing this, make sure to send it to me.” Hall tells Hunter.

 

“Who are you?” George Jr asks looking pissed.

 

“No one in particular, just an agent for the FBI.” Hill shrugs as George Jr pales in front of him.

 

“I’m still going to make Carter pay for everything.” George tells Hill.

 

“If we could find what we were looking for, we might be able to do that without having to arrest you.” Hill tells him.

 

“Nothing?” I ask.

 

“Get out of my house, and make sure your mother knows she ended my generosity.” George tells his son.

 

“You promised her.” He yells at George.

 

“She promised me that she’d do what was best for our family. Is that what happened to my grandson?” George asks, not caring what the answer was. George couldn’t hide the disappointment he felt in his family from us. George Jr left quickly. “I told Virginia I wouldn’t divorce her, but I can’t keep that promise. What kind of cold hearted person could do that to our grandchild? I don’t care what she says, Caroline and Jennifer were honest people, Caroline worked for everything she had and instilled it in Jennifer not to take charity. She was a sweet girl that deserved a good life. I feel responsible, because I let her be around my son, knowing she hadn’t had a lot of love in her life other than her mother’s.” 

 

“He probably turned her head. He did look alot like you did at his age. If he made her think he loved her, she might not have understood it was all a game to him.” Emmett tells him.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but anywhere else you can think of?” Hill asked Justin.

 

“This is the only other place I would have put anything the thumb drive might have been in.” Justin tells him.

 

“Why are you looking for that?” Emmett asks.

 

“We were told Julian might have hidden a thumb drive with Justin’s things. But we’ve looked through everything Justin had.” I tell him.

 

“Everything? Are you sure? Cause I know when my mom is around I hide things kind of in plain sight because she’ll toss my room but pay no attention to something I practically leave sitting out. I learned that after she found most of my hiding spots. I used to sleep on my laptop since she wouldn’t want to wake me up looking for things to sell.” Hunter offered.

 

“We’ve torn apart his house, looked through all the boxes, and everything he brought here.” Hill tells him, making me smile that he didn’t discount Hunter.

 

“What about my mattress? It’s an idea. As small as it is it wouldn’t require a large cut in it. Julian wouldn’t be able to get it without me, sort of.” Justin suggests.

 

Emmett got up and ran out of the room, bringing back the teddy bear I gave Lindsay. “You guys brought this back.” He tells us, handing it to Hill.

 

“I don’t feel anything.” Hill told us, looking disappointed.

 

“George you okay?” Emmett asked, seeing George go pale.

 

“Where did you get that?” He asks.

 

“It was mine. I thought Gus would like it.” Justin tells him.

 

“Where did you get it?” He asks.

 

“It was left with me.” Justin tells him.

 

I barely managed to help Emmett catch George when he collapsed. We were rushing around trying to get George to the living room while Emmett called the butler to call an ambulance. George came around as Lindsay and Mel came rushing in. 

 

“What’s going on?” Lindsay asked, looking concerned.

 

“Can I see it?” George asked Hill who was holding the teddy bear.

 

“George we need to take care of you first.” Emmett insisted, but let Hill hand it to him.

 

“I haven’t seen this in years, but I remember it.” George tells us.

 

“I... I don’t... understand.” Justin says, even though I think he was really trying to work it through his mind.

 

“I had this made for Jennifer when she turned sixteen. She didn’t get many gifts.” George tells Justin.

 

“Maybe… it’s just… I…” Justin says, backing away from all of us.

 

“Justin?” I said, trying to reach him.

 

Justin walked out of the room, with his shadows following him. I wanted to give him a minute before I followed. I didn’t want to crowd him.

 

“Are you sure George? Be sure. Because I don’t want him to be hurt if it’s wrong.” I tell him.

 

“I can have it authenticated, but it looks exactly like the one I helped make for her.” George tells him, holding it like it was fragile.

 

“Brian, we have to find that drive.” Hill tells me, looking apologetic.

 

“Find what?” Lindsay asked.

 

“Nothing you need to worry about.” Hill tells her, still irritated at us for telling each other everything.

 

“A thumb drive.” Hunter tells her, getting a glare from Hill.

 

Lindsay took off out of the room. I started to leave when she ran back in with something in her hand. 

 

“I found this. Is this what Justin was looking for?” Lindsay asks, holding it up.

 

“See. This is why we share everything.” Emmett tells them.

 

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