Page 111 of Three Stepbrothers Save Christmas

“The night I left, Layton had posted through a copy of a document which showed that the money started being transferred into the accounts four months after Verity’s mum’s death. It was then everything started to make sense. Henry had been slowly moving her inheritance into different accounts and making it look like it was being used for her upbringing, which was all part of the clauses of the Will. Verity was to continue living the life she was accustomed to, being cared for by staff, and attending any school she wanted until she turned twenty-one or graduated from school if that was after her birthday.”

“Which is why he said she would have to move out when she graduated,” Ryan says as his arms tighten around me.

“Exactly. All the time I’ve been doing the accounts, I thought he still paid for cleaners, a laundry company to collect the washing twice a week, a gardener as well as extra lessons at the school and a one-to-one tutor for her dancing.” Travis adds.

“I haven’t had any of that since my eighteenth, some even longer,” I point out. “I was told not to tell anyone as it was family business, and he didn’t want anyone, you guys included, knowing the truth.”

“Which is why I never picked up on it all. I never did any digging when I did his accounts, as it was all straightforward. In truth, I didn’t care as long as Verity had everything she needed.”

“So how much had he managed to hide away?” Ethan asks.

“Twenty million,” I answer, still unable to comprehend how much money that is.

“What the fuck!” Ryan and Ethan curse together loudly. I nearly fall from Ryan’s lap as he jumps. Luckily, he tightens his arms around me before I fall.

“I had already realised how much he had hidden and had started transferring it to an account I created under a fake name. Which is why I came here, to offer the money to Nicholson to get Verity out of the debt, but it got a little messy.”

“How messy?” Ryan asks.

“They thought Henry was up to something. Even though I told them to keep it quiet, the school announced Verity would not perform in the rest of the shows. Nicholson thought Henry was trying to hide her away so she didn’t have to go through with the marriage. They grabbed him and brought him here. I had the pleasure of his company for most of the day,” Travis sighs, rubbing his face.

“Is he still alive?” Ryan asks.

“Last we saw. Things got heated in the meeting with Nicholson after Verity turned up; some truths came out, and I flipped. The only reason he is alive is because she asked me not to kill him.” Travis's eyes land on me as I wipe a stray tear from my cheek.

Everything has happened so fast that I haven’t been able to ask the most important thing.

“How long did you know?”

Travis stands from his chair walks over, squats down he takes my hand in his. His knuckles are split from hitting; what do I even call him? My father? Henry? It feels weird calling him anything but Dad.

“I’ve had an inkling for a few weeks but nothing concrete until yesterday. Even then, I wanted to be wrong; I didn’t want to have to tell you the truth. But I should have done and I’m sorry, Sweetheart.”

I look into his eyes as he reaches up and wipes a tear away with his thumb whilst cupping my cheek.

“What did you find out?” Ryan asks. Travis doesn’t take his eyes off me; I know he is asking my permission to tell them.

“Henry’s not my real father.”

“What?” Ethan demands, but I don’t miss the silence from Ryan or the look Travis gives him. I turn in his lap to look at him.

“You knew?”

Slowly, Ryan shakes his head.

“Like Travis, I had an inkling. It was something your auntie said that day we went to see her.” He reaches up and tucks some hair behind my ear. “When you went to get her a drink, she said something about you being in danger and that Henry had no legal rights to you. I told Travis, which made us look into it.”

I lean against his chest and take a deep breath to centre myself.

“I get why you didn’t tell me, either of you,” I add, looking at Travis. “I don’t think I would have believed it if I hadn’t heard it from his own mouth.”

“He told you himself?” Ryan asks. I nod against his chest as I look at Travis.

“He really hates me,” I clench my jaw as I swallow back the lump in my throat. I promised myself I wouldn’t break here. I have to be as strong as possible. The last thing I want is for Nicholson to see me as weak.

“He didn’t take the time to know you. If he had, he would’ve realised how amazing, funny, smart, and beautiful you are inside and out. He didn’t deserve you in his life, and you sure as hell didn’t deserve what he put you through,” Travis says as he lifts my hand and kisses my knuckles.

“So where is the prick now?” Ethan asks.

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