Chapter 2 - What Tasha Knew
“Brooks residence responding.”
Malcolm forced his voice to remain steady.
“We’re four people inside the reinforced shelter. Two adults, two children. No injuries.”
Static hissed.
Then the dispatcher replied.
“Remain sheltered. Secondary rock movement is possible. Fire and rescue cannot safely reach your property until geotechnical personnel assess the access road.”
“How long?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Malcolm closed his eyes.
“Understood.”
He put down the microphone.
Jordan and Nia sat together on the narrow emergency cot. Tasha gave them bottled water, then avoided Malcolm’s gaze.
He waited.
She knew he was waiting.
Finally he said, “Tell me.”
Tasha looked toward the children.
“Not here.”
Malcolm almost laughed.
“There is no somewhere else.”
“Malcolm.”
“You recognized Summit Crown.”
Jordan looked between them.
“What’s Summit Crown?”
“A developer,” Malcolm said.
Tasha’s jaw tightened.
“We’re not doing this in front of them.”
“We almost died in front of them.”
That silenced the room.
Nia began rubbing the cuff of her yellow sweater.
Malcolm regretted the words immediately.
He crouched in front of the children.
“Hey. Nobody did anything wrong. Mom and I just need to talk.”
Jordan did not look convinced.
“You think somebody caused the landslide?”
“I don’t know.”
It was the truth.
But Jordan heard the possibility inside it.
Tasha led Malcolm toward the supply alcove at the far end of the bunker.
She folded her arms.
“Summit Crown contacted me three months ago.”
Malcolm stared.
“What?”
“They wanted to buy the eastern section.”
“Our eastern section?”
“Yes.”
“Why would they contact you?”
“They tried you first.”
“No, they didn’t.”
“They sent certified letters to your office.”
“My old office?”
Tasha nodded.
Malcolm had left the engineering firm eight months earlier after the company downsized.
“And then?”
“They found my email.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them we weren’t interested.”
Malcolm studied her face.
“That’s all?”
Tasha hesitated.
It was enough.
“What else?”
“They made an offer.”
“How much?”
“Malcolm—”
“How much?”
“Two point four million.”
The bunker suddenly felt smaller.
Their property, including the house and forested ridge, had been appraised at less than nine hundred thousand dollars.
“Why?”
“They said they were assembling land for a private mountain resort.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I knew what you would say.”
“That is not an answer.”
“Yes, it is.”
Tasha lowered her voice.
“You would have refused before reading the proposal because this was your father’s house.”
“It is our house.”
“Then why do you make every decision about it like he still owns it?”
The sentence hit harder than Malcolm expected.
Tasha immediately looked away.
He said quietly, “You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“Two point four million dollars.”
“I know.”
“We have a mortgage on the renovations.”
“I know.”
“Jordan’s braces. Your student loans. The property tax increase.”
“I know, Malcolm.”
“Then why hide it?”
Tasha looked toward the children again.
“Because I considered it.”
That stopped him.
“For how long?”
“Long enough to request the paperwork.”
Malcolm stepped back.
“You were going to sell?”
“No.”
“You requested paperwork.”
“I wanted to understand the offer.”
“Without me.”
“Yes.”
Outside, something heavy scraped against the bunker.
Nia flinched.
Both parents instantly turned toward her.
The sound faded.
Tasha whispered, “This is exactly why I didn’t tell you.”
Malcolm looked at her.
“You think I caused this by not selling?”
“No. I think this land controls you.”
“My father built this place.”
“And your father is gone.”
Malcolm stiffened.
Tasha’s face softened.
“I’m sorry.”
“No. You meant it.”
“Yes.”
She did.
That hurt worse.
The radio crackled again.
“Brooks residence, rescue team expects to approach from the south access road within ninety minutes.”
“Copy.”
Malcolm returned the microphone to its hook.
Jordan spoke from the cot.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“I have a video too.”
Malcolm turned.
Jordan held up his phone.
“You said picture.”
“I forgot I recorded first.”
Malcolm crossed the room.
The video was eleven seconds long.
Wind.
Trees.
Jordan’s breathing.
The distant white Summit Crown truck.
A man near several drill-sized holes in the rock.
Then a sharp electronic beep.
The man turned.
Jordan ducked behind a tree.
The recording ended.
Tasha leaned closer.
“What are those tubes?”
“I don’t know.”
Malcolm did.
Or thought he might.
Years working around construction sites had taught him what controlled blasting preparation sometimes looked like.
But there was no reason anyone should be blasting that ridge.
Not legally.
Not without notice.
Not on their land.
Malcolm replayed the clip.
Near the truck sat a rectangular equipment case.
On its side was a contractor name.
KELLER BLASTING SERVICES.
His pulse accelerated.
“That company does quarry and roadway work.”
Tasha whispered, “Could they have been blasting?”
“Maybe.”
“Would that cause this?”
“Not necessarily. A slope can fail for dozens of reasons.”
“But?”
“But if the rock was already fractured…”
He stopped.
He would not speculate in front of the children.
Jordan whispered, “I should’ve told you better.”
Malcolm looked at his son.
“No.”
He sat beside him.
“You did tell me.”
Jordan’s eyes filled.
“I didn’t listen.”
Malcolm put a hand on the back of his neck.
“That is on me.”
Nia climbed into Malcolm’s lap.
“Is our house gone?”
He looked toward the camera monitor.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Is my room gone?”
“I don’t know.”
“My rabbit?”
Tasha turned away.
Malcolm kissed Nia’s forehead.
“We’ll find what we can.”
The radio beeped.
A different voice came through.
“Mr. Brooks?”
“Yes?”
“This is Deputy Mercer with Buncombe County. We’ve been contacted by a representative of Summit Crown Development.”
Malcolm and Tasha stared at each other.
The deputy continued.
“They claim their crew had authorization to access a portion of the upper ridge this week.”
Malcolm stood.
“They absolutely did not.”
A pause.
“Sir, they say authorization was granted by a co-owner.”
Malcolm’s hand tightened around the microphone.
“There is no co-owner.”
Another pause.
Then the deputy said the name.
“According to the document they provided, authorization was signed by Celeste Brooks.”
Malcolm stopped breathing.
His aunt.
His father’s sister.
The woman who had hugged his children at Christmas.
The woman who had told him after Isaiah died, This mountain belongs to you now.
Malcolm looked at Tasha.
She was already pale.
Because both of them understood the same thing.
May you like
![92 The Girl They Called Broke Was a Billionaire’s Daughter—But Her Father’s Arrival Exposed a Secret Powerful People Had Buried for Years]](https://cdn.treeiq.biz/site_590/2026/11/clone-0-0915d882-53d7-4d17-b43a-a010ca1a1068.webp)
Celeste had not merely known Summit Crown existed.
She had opened the gate.
