Chapter 0615
Magnus returned to the living room, finding Maximus still seated, his face buried in his hands. His fingers massaged his scalp as if trying to stave off the onslaught of emotions and thoughts swirling in his head. Coming to the house of the man who claimed to be his father had only left him more frustrated, saddened, and in pain. He couldn’t stop imagining the unimaginable suffering his mother had endured–or perhaps he could, and that was what tormented him most. The memory of his actions with Mary surfaced, filling him with guilt and a sense of suffocation.
“Maximus… Here’s what your brother left for you,” Magnus said, holding out a thick envelope stuffed with papers and a USB drive. “If you want, you can open the files in my study. I have a laptop there.”
“What’s this?” Maximus asked, rubbing his temples, his brow furrowed in frustration.
“As I said… it’s the life’s work and legacy of Leonardo Palmer and Frank Levett.”
“Do you have any whisky? I need something stronger than coffee.”
“Yes… Let’s head to the study. I keep some there.”
The two men walked through the elegant halls of Magnus’s home.
“There’s the computer,” Magnus said, gesturing toward a sleek laptop on a desk. “I’ll pour you a whisky now. On
a desk. “I’ll the rocks or neat?”
“Neat,” Maximus replied, already opening the folder and spreading its contents across the desk.
The papers were a mix of receipts, notes, and contracts–all bearing Leonardo Palmer’s signature. Maximus’s eyes widened as he realized many of the documents were from recent years. It was clear evidence of massive embezzlement from Palmer Group, all while he had been its CEO.
“That bastard Frank… He’s been looting the company again” Maximus muttered through clenched teeth.
“I suggest you read every document carefully. There’s more here than you might imagine,” Magnus said, handing him the glass of whisky.
“What’s on the USB?”
“See for yourself.”
Maximus plugged the drive into the laptop, opening a trove of files. The data was damning–solid proof that Peter had meticulously compiled to drag their father to hell. And Frank Levett. And even Alexia Levett.
“Catherine tried to return the shares to Marcus and Mary? Maximus asked, stunned.
“She was in love with Albert Preston. That softened her heart. That’s why your father orchestrated her death. Leonardo never forgave Catherine for wanting to hand the company back to its rightful owners.”
“With this, I could put my father–Leonardo–in prison.”
“Leonardo is 75 years old. Do you think prison is punishment enough?”
“Peter wanted to kill him… But I convinced him that exposing the Palmer name would hurt more than any death. Believe me, it’ll destroy him.”
“This evidence isn’t just about embezzlement. It shows fraud against Palmer Group, drug trafficking, organ trafficking, arms dealing… every filthy crime you can imagine. What the hell was my father–Leonardo- thinking?”
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Chapter 0615
“The truth is, the Bartzs weren’t the criminals everyone believed. The real criminals were the Palmers. The Bartzs
only mistake was leaving everything in Frank Bartz’s hands. If Peter Bartz had passed his legacy to Lawrence Bartz–Marcus’s father–the family wouldn’t have suffered or ended the way it did.
“Catherine was just a scapegoat. She deeply regretted her family ties. That’s why, when she discovered her family’s role in what happened to the Bartzs, she protected the last survivor–Marcus. She thought she’d destroyed all evidence of her guilt, but your brother found it easily. Catherine felt responsible for what her father had done but couldn’t act against it, especially after your grandfather left with Electra Levett.
“For years, I believed Frank Levett would hunt them down, but now I understand why he didn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Frank Levett had more important things to do than chase pair of adulterers.”
“What does Peter want me to do with all this?”
“First, he wants you to publicly acknowledge that you’re my son. Second, he wants you to change your last name. Third, he said you’d know what to do with this evidence. Peter isn’t afraid of the Palmer name since he’s legally registered as a Palmer from Slovenia, not Valentia. Over the years, he has erased all traces of his existence.
“Unfortunately, he couldn’t find his real mother. Peter is convinced that his father killed her.”
“Is Peter at peace with that?” Maximus asked doubtfully.
“I doubt it, but he didn’t say much about it, Maximus, you need to think carefully about what to do with this information. It includes receipts, notes, files, videos–things that will take down more than just one person.
Η
“If it means finally easing my conscience, for my mother’s sake, I won’t hesitate to take them down. But no one will touch my children.”
“That’s a drastic approach. That’s why Peter and I thought the best course of action was for you to change your last name and separate yourself from that family.”
“Even so, I’ve lived my whole life as a Palmer. Don’t think that’ll go unnoticed. Before I do anything, I’ll talk to Marcus. If he’s willing to close this chapter in our lives, we’ll do it no matter the cost. I can’t decide for him.”
