Chapter 5 - The Resurrection
The Lawson Lumber boardroom was a cavernous space of polished mahogany and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the mill.
Rachel, Derek, Gregory, and Pamela sat on one side of the massive table. They looked like royalty waiting for their crowns. Rachel was already tapping on her phone, looking at luxury real estate listings in Los Angeles.
Lucas sat alone on the opposite side of the table, his hands folded quietly in his lap.
The heavy double doors opened, and Arthur Vance walked in. He didn't carry a briefcase, only a single manila folder. He locked the doors behind him.
"Mr. Vance," Gregory said, puffing out his chest. "We are devastated by the loss of Walter. However, as the rightful heirs, we need to expedite the transfer of all company shares to my daughter, Rachel, and myself. Furthermore, we intend to press criminal charges against Lucas for his gross negligence."
Arthur Vance stood at the head of the table. He looked at the family with an expression of absolute disgust.
"There will be no transfer of shares today, Gregory," Arthur said, his voice cold and echoing in the large room.
Rachel slammed her phone down. "Excuse me? My grandfather is dead. I am the primary beneficiary. You will transfer the accounts to Derek’s management firm immediately, or I will have you disbarred!"
"Your grandfather," a deep, booming voice echoed from the private side-office door, "is very much alive."
The color drained from Rachel’s face in a violent rush. Derek froze. Gregory and Pamela gasped, clutching the mahogany table as if the earth had just lost its gravity.
The side door clicked open.
Walter Lawson walked into the boardroom. He wasn't in a wheelchair. He wasn't wearing a hospital gown. He was wearing a custom-tailored charcoal suit, holding a silver-tipped cane, walking with the posture of a titan who had just reclaimed his throne.
He looked at his family. The silence in the room was absolute, suffocating, and heavy with impending doom.
"G-Grandfather?" Rachel stammered, her voice cracking into a pathetic squeak. "But... we saw the body... we saw..."
"You saw a carefully constructed medical dummy under a heavy blanket in a dark room," Walter said, his eyes burning with a terrifying fury. "Because you were too disgusted to actually touch the man you were trying to murder."
Derek stumbled backward, knocking his chair to the floor. "This is a trick. This is illegal!"
"What's illegal, Derek," Walter growled, stepping closer to the table, "is wiring twelve million dollars of my company's money into offshore accounts. What's illegal is locking a paralyzed man in a room without water for fourteen days."
Walter pressed a button on a remote in his hand. The massive presentation screen on the wall flickered to life. It played the hidden camera footage from the bedroom. It played Rachel and Derek’s conversation. It played Gregory and Pamela laughing about the inheritance.
Rachel fell to her knees. "Grandpa, please... it was a joke! We were going to hire a nurse! Lucas manipulated the footage!"
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Walter looked down at her, his face devoid of any love. "You are no longer my granddaughter. You are a parasite. And your host has just died."
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