“Look at the next photo in the stack,” Penelope urged.
The next image showed Kyle leaving the restaurant looking distraught, a check clenched in his hand.
“Tabitha offered him ten million dollars to testify that your father was mentally unfit when he changed his will.”
“But she told me that Kyle was helping her take the estate.”
“Your brother has been pretending to go along with them just to make them feel safe,” she revealed.
“He gave them just enough rope to hang themselves.”
I was still processing the betrayal when Penelope revealed the most surprising part of my father’s plan.
“Tomorrow at the reading, it will appear as though Tabitha and Calvin are receiving a massive portion of the inheritance.”
I rose abruptly, panic rushing through me.
“Why would he do that after everything they did?”
“Let me finish, because the moment they accept that inheritance, the codicil is officially activated.”
“Their acceptance triggers a mandatory investigation that allows all this evidence to be presented to the prosecution.”
At last, I understood the brilliance of my father’s final move.
“He made them believe they had won just so they would incriminate themselves by signing the papers.”
A hard knock sounded at the study door.
Kyle entered carrying a leather folder, his face exhausted and guilty.
“I came because there is one more thing you both need to hear before the meeting tomorrow.”
He sat down and played an audio file from his phone.