{"id":11598,"date":"2026-10-04T22:11:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T22:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/?p=11598"},"modified":"2026-10-04T22:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T22:11:44","slug":"part-15-the-original-trust-draft-named-a-second-beneficiary-revealing-the-grievance-behind-belltower-and-why-martin-had-chosen-me-as-the-target","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/?p=11598","title":{"rendered":"PART 15 \u2013 The Original Trust Draft Named a Second Beneficiary, Revealing the Grievance Behind Belltower and Why Martin Had Chosen Me as the Target"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Bell had a daughter.<\/p>\n<p>I knew that before Claire said it.<\/p>\n<p>Vaguely.<\/p>\n<p>A childhood memory of adults discussing the Bell family after the accident.<\/p>\n<p>But I had never known her name.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Claire answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father sat slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was a child.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo was I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow old?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout six when Thomas died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Grandpa planned to put her in the trust?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never saw that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire spoke through the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe draft is in the gray box.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHave you seen it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMartin showed me a scan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father stared at the speaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMartin had a copy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe had copies of almost everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Martin\u2019s value had always been information.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would my grandfather include Rebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire answered instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to Martin, it was settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSettlement for what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bell partnership dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire did.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas Bell had claimed my grandfather undervalued his ownership interest in a clinic network during a restructuring.<\/p>\n<p>Bell threatened litigation.<\/p>\n<p>Before the matter reached court, he died in the car accident.<\/p>\n<p>His widow, Eleanor, continued pressing the claim.<\/p>\n<p>My grandfather negotiated privately.<\/p>\n<p>Part cash.<\/p>\n<p>Part future value.<\/p>\n<p>The early trust draft allegedly included a beneficial interest for Rebecca.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMartin said fifteen percent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father swore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFifteen percent of what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCertain investment assets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot the entire trust?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That distinction mattered.<\/p>\n<p>But perhaps not enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened to the provision?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire said, \u201cRemoved before execution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMartin says Richard\u2019s father changed his mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father looked furious.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father was entitled to change an unsigned draft.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLegally, possibly. Morally and contractually may be different questions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas there a separate agreement?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Claire hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what the gray box may prove.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The entire conspiracy suddenly had a motive beyond greed.<\/p>\n<p>If Bell\u2019s family believed my grandfather promised Rebecca a share and later removed it, Belltower might have begun as an attempt to recover something they believed was theirs.<\/p>\n<p>That did not justify Patrick.<\/p>\n<p>It did not justify forged signatures.<\/p>\n<p>But it explained why Martin could tell himself he was correcting an old wrong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho created Belltower?\u201d Stephen asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca Bell?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is she?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs she the anonymous sender?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho is?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone knew enough to ruin my life and somehow nobody knew who kept texting me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat role did Rebecca have?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe financed the research.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInitially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid she approve him approaching me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That answer came quickly.<\/p>\n<p>I noticed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBelltower hired Patrick to trace assets and identify legal recovery options. Martin supplied historical information. I handled research and entity structures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick found the trust timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he propose?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire went silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said marriage would solve access.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened despite already knowing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho agreed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father swore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlice?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMartin?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe knew Patrick was getting close to Jenna. I don\u2019t know when he understood the full plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re sure?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause when she found out, she terminated Belltower\u2019s contract.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen leaned closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout two years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That date mattered.<\/p>\n<p>After my wedding.<\/p>\n<p>Before many of the forged transfers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo the original client backed out,\u201d Stephen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut Patrick continued.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith whose money?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlice\u2019s. Some of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Martin?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInformation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick had taken a commissioned investigation and turned it into his own private operation.<\/p>\n<p>Claire helped.<\/p>\n<p>Alice funded.<\/p>\n<p>Martin supplied history.<\/p>\n<p>Belltower\u2019s grievance became cover.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you continue after Rebecca terminated the contract?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I asked it quietly.<\/p>\n<p>Claire did not answer for several seconds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoney.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At least she did not dress it up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick said the trust was larger than Belltower realized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd he offered you a percentage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three percent.<\/p>\n<p>Enough to change Claire\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas that why Northbridge received payments?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the debt to Alice?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat came later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick stopped paying me regularly. I borrowed to keep Northbridge alive. Alice arranged financing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen controlled you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy try to retrieve my prenup three weeks ago?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick told me to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith a fake ID.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDenise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another piece.<\/p>\n<p>Denise had title experience, document experience, and access to Belltower infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Rebecca know Denise was helping Patrick?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes Denise still work for Rebecca?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was interesting.<\/p>\n<p>If Belltower had terminated Patrick, why was its employee helping him?<\/p>\n<p>Maybe Denise had her own loyalty.<\/p>\n<p>Or Rebecca had not truly withdrawn.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did you leave two nights ago?\u201d Stephen asked.<\/p>\n<p>Claire\u2019s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Patrick changed FINAL CONTROL.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe removed the ninety-day exit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat replaced it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>I felt my pulse in my throat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPermanent dependency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick wanted legal and financial conditions that would make it almost impossible for Jenna to separate without losing access to everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I thought of the apartment.<\/p>\n<p>The accounts.<\/p>\n<p>The company.<\/p>\n<p>The power of attorney.<\/p>\n<p>My employment verification.<\/p>\n<p>If enough assets and obligations moved into structures he controlled, leaving him could become financially catastrophic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wanted to trap me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire sounded exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou said he stopped treating me like an assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds like love to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer came instantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt sounded like ownership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That word landed cleanly.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick had told my father at dinner:<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m her husband.<\/p>\n<p>As though that settled the car.<\/p>\n<p>As though marriage converted my property into his judgment.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe the entire scheme had evolved from greed into something more personal and more dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>He did not simply want the trust.<\/p>\n<p>He wanted to be the person through whom I accessed my own life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy take ORIGIN?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause once he changed the plan, I knew there would never be an exit for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlice. Martin. Me. Anyone who could contradict him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he threaten you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe reminded me whose signatures I had forged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fair.<\/p>\n<p>Claire was both accomplice and potential witness.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick could sacrifice her first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you copied ORIGIN.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd ran.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are you now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She did not answer.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen said, \u201cClaire, if you want protection, you need to surrender to investigators and provide everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo is Jenna.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut Jenna did not create forged documents. You did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire began crying quietly.<\/p>\n<p>I felt no urge to comfort her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll meet the detective,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Stephen said. \u201cTonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I need to get something first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick\u2019s ledger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My skin prickled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat ledger?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot financial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA handwritten notebook.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick kept notebooks.<\/p>\n<p>I had seen dozens over the years.<\/p>\n<p>Work notes.<\/p>\n<p>Ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Lists.<\/p>\n<p>He preferred paper for anything he considered important.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s in it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNames. Payments. Dates. Contingencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis private office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolice can obtain it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey don\u2019t know where he hides it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen\u2019s voice hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not go there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Patrick gets released\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo not go there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Claire went silent.<\/p>\n<p>Then the call ended.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen immediately contacted Detective Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>Claire\u2019s number was provided.<\/p>\n<p>Police would attempt to locate her.<\/p>\n<p>My father stared at the table.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery little.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas adored her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Grandpa know her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he ever mention helping her?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen looked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter Thomas died. My father said the girl would be taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My skin prickled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you think he meant?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSettlement money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe he meant the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father looked older again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he promised her something and removed it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did not finish.<\/p>\n<p>I understood.<\/p>\n<p>My grandfather might have done exactly what Bell\u2019s family accused him of doing.<\/p>\n<p>Not murder.<\/p>\n<p>Not necessarily fraud.<\/p>\n<p>But betrayal.<\/p>\n<p>That did not make my inheritance stolen.<\/p>\n<p>Not automatically.<\/p>\n<p>But it meant the clean moral story my family preferred might never have been true.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen\u2019s phone rang.<\/p>\n<p>Detective Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>She had news.<\/p>\n<p>Patrick would remain detained while investigators coordinated financial allegations and the incident at my parents\u2019 house.<\/p>\n<p>No guarantees beyond that.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, officers had located Alice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt her home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas the box there?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDenise?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNotary journal?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStill missing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alice had declined to answer substantive questions without new counsel.<\/p>\n<p>Expected.<\/p>\n<p>Then Ruiz added something else.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDenise Carter\u2019s vehicle was located.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My pulse jumped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAirport parking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEntered two hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid she fly?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re checking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about the gray box?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot in the vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father swore.<\/p>\n<p>If Denise had boarded a flight with the records, the evidence could be anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Then Ruiz said, \u201cWe have one more development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomeone came to the station asking to speak with me about Belltower.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebecca Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father stared at the phone.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca had not disappeared.<\/p>\n<p>She had walked directly into the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d Stephen asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe says she learned Denise removed historical records from the Hale residence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo she knew Denise was there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApparently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid she authorize it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ruiz paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe says no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone denied the final step.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoes she know about Patrick?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe claims enough to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Stephen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to speak with her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father immediately said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I turned toward him.<\/p>\n<p>The word hung between us.<\/p>\n<p>He realized his mistake.<\/p>\n<p>His shoulders lowered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean I don\u2019t think you should do it without counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen said he would arrange any meeting through Detective Ruiz.<\/p>\n<p>Then another call came in.<\/p>\n<p>This one from Jason.<\/p>\n<p>His voice was tense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNina found something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe recovered a deleted scan from Patrick\u2019s drive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA handwritten page.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Stephen put him on speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Jason continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a list of names.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhose handwriting?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat names?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire. Martin. Alice. Denise. Rebecca.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All expected.<\/p>\n<p>Then Jason hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Richard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach name has a number beside it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoney?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s beside Richard?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZero.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about the others?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jason read.<\/p>\n<p>Claire: three.<\/p>\n<p>Martin: five.<\/p>\n<p>Alice: twelve.<\/p>\n<p>Denise: two.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca: eight.<\/p>\n<p>Percentages.<\/p>\n<p>Success shares.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatrick allocated percentages,\u201d Stephen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLooks like it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I did the math.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty percent total.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s the rest?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jason paused.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are two more entries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cP.W.\u2014forty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Patrick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jason went silent long enough that I knew the last entry mattered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJ.H.\u2014thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Me.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n<p>My initials.<\/p>\n<p>Thirty percent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>No one knew.<\/p>\n<p>Why would Patrick allocate me a share of assets that were already mine?<\/p>\n<p>Unless the percentages did not represent who received my trust.<\/p>\n<p>Unless they represented ownership of something else.<\/p>\n<p>Stephen asked Jason to read any heading.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jason answered:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBell Recovery Distribution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My father stared.<\/p>\n<p>The percentages were not dividing my inheritance.<\/p>\n<p>They were dividing whatever Patrick expected to recover from the Hale family on behalf of Bell.<\/p>\n<p>And somehow, Patrick had allocated thirty percent to me.<\/p>\n<p>The woman he was deceiving.<\/p>\n<p>The supposed target.<\/p>\n<p>That made no sense.<\/p>\n<p>Unless Patrick intended, at some point, to tell me the truth.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/?p=11599\">Click here to continue reading: PART 16: Rebecca Bell Finally Told Me Why Patrick Reserved Thirty Percent for Me, and Her Answer Changed What I Believed He Ultimately Wanted<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Bell had a daughter. I knew that before Claire said it. Vaguely. A childhood memory of adults discussing the Bell family after the accident. But I had never known &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feel-every-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11633,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11598\/revisions\/11633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feeleverystory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}