Chapter 7
Gideon requested one interview with Evelyn before prosecutors decided whether to charge her.
His lawyers advised against it.
He insisted on a structured meeting with counsel present.
Linnea did not attend.
Petra did not attend.
Gideon sat across from his mother and placed photocopies of the two document boxes between them.
“Which one is true?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Both contain facts.”
“No.”
He pushed the Gideon file forward.
“This says I’m volatile and Linnea’s injuries may have happened in my care.”
“They could have.”
“I was in Dallas for one.”
Silence.
“Chicago for another.”
Evelyn looked away.
Then Gideon pushed the Petra file toward her.
“This one says exactly who caused them.”
Evelyn’s attorney intervened.
“Do not answer questions implicating pending criminal matters.”
Gideon nodded.
“Fine.”
He looked at his mother.
“Then answer something personal.”
Evelyn waited.
“Why didn’t you stop her?”
Her expression finally changed.
“I thought Petra would calm down.”
“After the first bruise?”
“Yes.”
“And the second?”
“She was under pressure.”
“Third?”
“Gideon—”
“Fourth?”
Evelyn’s voice sharpened.
“You had abandoned your responsibilities here.”
He stared.
“I went on work trips.”
“You left your child with me while expecting everyone else to rearrange themselves around your grief.”
Gideon went quiet.
There was the resentment.
Evelyn had helped after Sarah died.
Then slowly began believing Gideon owed her obedience for it.
Petra’s resentment was different.
She believed Gideon received every important thing first.
Their father’s confidence.
The CEO role.
Family attention after Sarah died.
Then Evelyn’s time revolved around Linnea.
Petra’s design business struggled while Gideon’s company thrived.
None of that made hitting a five-year-old inevitable.
It simply gave Petra a story she used to excuse her anger.
Gideon asked again:
“Why photographs?”
Evelyn’s lawyer stopped her.
Meeting over.
But as Gideon stood, Evelyn said:
“You think Petra is innocent in all this because I kept records?”
He looked at her.
“No.”
“Good.”
Her voice became colder.
“Because if Petra had gotten what she wanted from Carroway and decided she didn’t need me anymore, those photographs were the only thing keeping her honest.”
There.
Not the entire answer.
Enough to reveal the direction.
May you like
Evelyn had not been collecting evidence to protect Linnea.
She had been collecting leverage.
