“Tell Clara she has to help us. We need to pool our resources for Daniel’s defense.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

“I’m not pooling anything, Mother,” Rachel said.

“I’m out.”

Patricia gasped, her hand flying to her throat.

“What do you mean, you’re out?” Patricia asked.

“I just signed a formal statement with Robert’s team,” Rachel said.

“I gave them the ledger of the offshore transfers Daniel made through the shell companies.”

“I also found out he put my name on two of those accounts without my consent.”

“You betrayed your own brother?” Patricia whispered, her face turning pale under the fluorescent lights.

“He betrayed all of us when he dragged our family name into a federal fraud scheme,” Rachel said.

“I am officially cutting ties with Daniel, and with Mercer Development.”

“I will not spend a single dollar of my inheritance to keep him out of prison.”

“Rachel, please,” Patricia begged, tears finally spilling over her mascara.

“He is your brother.”

“He is a criminal, Mother,” Rachel said.

“And if you keep funding him, you’ll go down with him.”