My fingers flew across the tablet screen, searching for Victor Hallowell’s contact. My voice felt like sandpaper when I finally found his number and dialed.
“This is Maya Albright,” I said, my voice shaking despite my best effort to keep it steady. “I’m calling about Gentry Media LLC.”
A pause. Then Hallowell’s voice, smooth and unperturbed, came through the phone. “Ms. Albright. A pleasure. How can I assist?”
“Don’t play games with me, Victor,” I snapped, my eyes fixed on Richard, who had slunk into a corner, pretending to check his phone. “I have the texts. I have proof of two point eight million dollars diverted from my mother’s estate into your shell company.”
Another pause, this one longer. I could hear faint office chatter in the background, a world away from my green room crisis.
“Ah,” Hallowell said, his tone still irritatingly calm. “The Gentry Media payouts. All perfectly above board, Ms. Albright.”
“Above board?” I scoffed, holding the tablet up like a shield. “You filed false tax forms claiming I was in default. You and Richard conspired to steal from my mother.”
Richard flinched. He finally looked up, his eyes wide with a desperate plea for silence.
“I assure you, I was acting entirely on instruction,” Hallowell replied, a slight edge now entering his voice. “From your mother’s legal trust administrator, as per the established agreements.”
My stomach dropped. “My mother’s legal trust administrator? Who is that, Victor?”
A beat of silence. Then, Hallowell said, “Why, Mr. Gentry, of course. Your stepfather. He holds the medical power of attorney and is the sole trustee for her financial affairs.”
The words hit me like a physical blow. Richard. He wasn’t just my stepfather; he was legally in control of everything.
My mother, Diana, in her early stages of dementia, had no idea. She trusted him, just as I had.
He had always presented himself as a helpful, selfless figure managing her affairs, protecting her legacy. Now, I understood. This wasn’t about protection. It was about absolute control.
Richard, sensing my dawning horror, took a step forward. “Maya, don’t say anything rash. This is a family matter.”
“Family matter?” I roared, my voice echoing off the padded walls. “You’ve been bleeding us dry for years, claiming it was for her care!”
Hallowell cleared his throat on the line. “I must advise against any further accusations, Ms. Albright. All actions taken were within the scope of Mr. Gentry’s legal authority.”
I hung up, my hand shaking so hard I almost dropped the tablet. The red light above the door seemed to pulse with my own frantic heartbeat.
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