Chapter 13: My Husband Inherited the Man Who Destroyed Us
The car door slammed again.
My father moved toward the study window, but I caught his arm.
"Don't.""
He looked at me.
"Claire, if that's Ethan—"
"Then he can knock like everyone else.""
Daniel Price was still on the phone.
"Arthur, you need to understand that Ethan's inheritance isn't what you think it is.""
My father returned to the desk.
"You just told us he inherited Victor Reed's remaining assets.""
"Because he did. Victor established a private investment vehicle years ago. Ethan was named as the successor beneficiary.""
"How much?"" I asked.
Daniel paused.
"That's not the important question.""
"It becomes important when the money was stolen from my mother's foundation.""
"Your mother wasn't the only person Victor took money from," Daniel replied.
"The investment vehicle holds interests in several companies. Some are legitimate. Others are under investigation. Ethan inherited the assets, but he also inherited the liabilities.""
"Did he know?""
"I can't answer that.""
"You won't answer that.""
A knock sounded at the front door.
My father glanced toward the hallway.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Claire, listen carefully. If Ethan approaches you with an offer, don't sign anything. He may need your cooperation to prevent the assets from being frozen.""
"Why would he need my cooperation?""
"Because the remaining Hawthorne shares are tied to the original settlement.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"What does that mean?""
"It means the four percent your father acquired was never simply a purchase. It was part of a larger arrangement involving the original funds. If investigators establish that the acquisition was financed with misappropriated money, the shares could be subject to recovery proceedings.""
My father gripped the desk.
"You're saying our company could lose those shares?""
"I'm saying the ownership structure is more complicated than either of you realizes.""
"Then explain it," I demanded.
"I can't do that over the phone.""
"Why not?""
"Because someone has already accessed my office.""
A sudden crash sounded through the receiver.
Daniel cursed.
Then the line went dead.
My father and I stared at the phone.
Another knock sounded at the front door.
This time, it was followed by a voice.
"Claire? It's Detective Bennett. Open the door, please.""
I hurried into the hallway.
Two officers stood on the porch with the detective. Behind them, a dark sedan was parked near the gate.
Ethan stood beside it.
He wore a charcoal suit, his tie loosened, his face drawn with exhaustion. When he saw me, he lifted both hands.
"I need to talk to you.""
Detective Bennett stepped between us.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you were instructed not to contact your wife directly while the preliminary investigation was underway.""
"I'm not here to threaten her.""
"Then you'll have no objection to speaking with us first.""
Ethan looked past her.
"Claire, please. You have to hear me.""
I wanted to shut the door.
I wanted to tell him that he'd forfeited every right to ask me for anything.
But I also wanted answers.
"Five minutes," I said.
"With the detective present.""
We returned to the study.
Ethan looked at the photograph of my mother on the desk, then at the settlement agreement.
His expression changed.
"Where did you find that?""
"Why do you care?""
He looked at my father.
"Arthur, you need to tell her what the agreement means.""
My father stood.
"You don't get to come into my house and give me instructions.""
"I'm trying to stop this from getting worse.""
"Then start telling the truth.""
Ethan swallowed.
"Victor left me an investment portfolio. I didn't know its full contents until yesterday. When I discovered the settlement documents, I realized some of the assets could be traced to the original Meridian transactions.""
"Did you inherit the money?"" I asked.
"Yes.""
"How much?""
"Approximately twenty-seven million dollars in assets, though the actual value is uncertain. Some holdings are frozen, and others may carry substantial liabilities.""
Twenty-seven million.
My mother had died believing four million dollars had been stolen from the foundation she'd spent years building. Now the man who had helped destroy her legacy had left my husband a fortune.
"Did you know Victor was your benefactor before you married me?""
Ethan hesitated.
That was enough.
"Answer me.""
"I knew he'd helped finance my career. I didn't know he intended to leave me the entire portfolio.""
"Did you know he introduced you to me because he wanted access to Hawthorne Industries?""
His eyes dropped.
"Yes.""
My father moved toward him, but Detective Bennett raised a hand.
"Mr. Hawthorne, remain where you are.""
I couldn't look away from Ethan.
"When did you know?""
"Before our engagement.""
The room seemed to shrink.
"You knew before you asked me to marry you?""
"Claire, I loved you.""
"That isn't an answer.""
"I thought I could separate the relationship from the business arrangement. I thought I could build something legitimate, repay the money, and leave Victor behind.""
"But you didn't.""
"No.""
His voice broke.
"When Victor realized I wasn't going to hand him control immediately, he threatened to expose everything. He said he'd destroy my career and make it look as though I'd orchestrated the original theft.""
"So you decided to take control of the company yourself.""
"I thought that was the only way to protect us.""
"Protect us?"" I repeated.
"You gave my chair to your mistress in front of the board. You forged my signature. You tried to force me to sign away voting rights. You used money connected to my mother's medical expenses to finance a takeover.""
He closed his eyes.
"I know.""
"No, Ethan. You know what happened. You don't understand what you did.""
For the first time, he didn't argue.
Detective Bennett stepped closer.
"Mr. Hawthorne, did you direct the creation of the account in your wife's name?""
"No.""
"Did you authorize the transfer of the four percent shareholding to Northbridge Advisory Group?""
"I authorized the collateral arrangement, but I believed the shares were owned by a separate holding company.""
"Did you know Claire had never consented to the transfer?""
His silence returned.
"Mr. Hawthorne?""
"I knew the signature wasn't hers.""
My father lunged forward.
The officers restrained him before he reached Ethan.
I stood frozen.
Ethan looked at me, desperate now.
"Claire, I didn't forge it. Victor's people prepared the documents. I knew the signature was false, but I believed the transfer could be reversed before it caused damage.""
"You let it happen.""
"Yes.""
"And you let me believe you were my husband.""
His eyes filled with tears.
"I was your husband.""
"No. You were the man I married. I don't know who you are anymore.""
Detective Bennett closed her notebook.
"Mr. Hawthorne, you're coming with us to provide a formal statement regarding these transactions.""
Ethan nodded.
Before the officers led him away, he turned back to me.
"There is one thing you need to know. Victor didn't leave me the money because he trusted me.""
"Then why?""
"Because he needed someone to take responsibility for the final transfer. If the investigators trace it back to the investment vehicle, the person who approved that transfer could face criminal charges.""
My father went pale.
"Who approved it?""
Ethan looked at him.
"Daniel Price.""
The detective stopped.
"Are you certain?""
"I saw the original authorization yesterday. Daniel signed the final transfer order. Victor kept it because he knew Daniel could destroy him if he ever turned against him.""
My father sat down heavily.
Daniel had been his closest business associate for thirty years.
The man who had helped build the company.
The man whose name appeared on the recording.
And now, according to Ethan, the man who had authorized the final movement of the missing money.
Detective Bennett immediately called her team.
Within minutes, an officer confirmed that Daniel's office had been found empty, with several cabinets forced open and his computer missing.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
A message appeared.
Ethan is telling you the truth about Daniel. But he's lying about one other thing.
A second message followed.
Ask your father who was with Eleanor when she changed her will.
I looked at my father.
He had gone completely still.
"Dad?""
He didn't answer.
"Who was with Mom when she changed her will?""
His eyes lifted to mine.
May you like
And for the first time that day, I saw something worse than guilt.
I saw fear.
