He Faked Being Blind to Catch His Stepfather Stealing the Family Fortune — Part 3 of 3

The Final Piece of the Puzzle

The recess lasted two hours, but it felt like an eternity. I sat in the hallway with Toby, who had insisted on coming. 'Are we going to win?' he asked, his small hand gripping mine.

'We're going to do more than win,' I said. 'We're going to make sure Uncle Derek never hurts anyone again.'

When the judge returned, she looked grim. 'I have reviewed the evidence presented by Mr. Bradford's counsel,' she said. 'It is the opinion of this court that the motion to declare Marcus Bradford incompetent is denied. Furthermore, I am referring this matter to the district attorney's office for investigation into the criminal charges of fraud, embezzlement, and conspiracy to commit murder.'

Derek's face went ashen. 'This is a mistake! I'm a respected businessman!'

The judge slammed her gavel. 'You are a disgrace to your family name, Mr. Bradford. Court is adjourned.'

As the bailiff led Derek away in handcuffs, he turned to me one last time. 'You think you've won? The company is still in debt. You'll lose everything.'

I shook my head. 'No, Uncle. You lost everything. I still have my family.'

And that was true. Toby was safe. My mother, who had been in a rehab facility for depression, was finally strong enough to come home. And the company—well, that was a different story.

It turned out Derek had been even more thorough than I'd thought. He had mortgaged the aviation company to the hilt, using the loans to fund his own ventures. When the bank audited the accounts, they found millions in missing funds.

I spent the next few months working with a forensic accountant, trying to untangle the mess. It was exhausting, but I was determined. This was my father's legacy, and I wasn't about to let it die.

One night, after a particularly long day, I found Toby sitting in the study, staring at a photo of our father. 'Do you think Dad would be proud of us?' he asked.

I sat down beside him. 'I think he'd be proud of how brave you were, Toby. You stood up to Craig when no one else would.'

Toby smiled, a small, watery smile. 'I just did what you would have done.'

That made me laugh. 'I think we're both pretty brave, then.'

Weeks passed, and slowly, things began to improve. The bank agreed to restructure the loans. The company's biggest clients, loyal to my father's name, came back. And the criminal trial for Derek and Craig was set for October.

On the first day of the trial, I stood outside the courthouse, feeling the weight of everything that had happened. Toby was beside me, holding my hand. 'Are you ready?' he asked.