Chapter 6: The Man Who Wanted My Father's Company
The darkness lasted only a few seconds.
Then the emergency lights flickered on.
Daniel immediately moved toward the garage door.
“Don't touch anything,” he warned.
Julian was breathing hard.
“What did he mean, the same mistake?””
I held the leather case against my chest.
“Right now, we need to get out.””
Daniel examined the control panel beside the entrance.
“The electronic lock has been activated remotely.””
“Can you override it?””
“Possibly.””
A loud metallic bang came from the other side of the garage.
Someone was trying the exterior door.
I looked around.
My father's workshop had a second exit leading to the garden, but it was blocked by a tall shelving unit.
“Julian, help me move that.””
He hesitated.
“What if Robert is outside?””
“Then we won't be standing here waiting for him.””
We pushed together.
The shelves scraped across the concrete floor, revealing the narrow door.
Daniel checked the handle.
“Unlocked.””
We stepped outside just as the main garage door began to rise.
A man in a dark jacket stood beneath it.
Not Robert.
A stranger.
He looked directly at me.
“Miss Sterling?””
I tightened my grip on the case.
“Who are you?””
He raised his hands.
“I'm Detective Marcus Reed. The police received a call about a possible break-in.””
Daniel approached him.
“Detective, I'm Daniel Whitmore. I'm the attorney for Richard Sterling's estate.””
Reed showed his badge.
“Mr. Whitmore. We received a report of suspicious activity and a threatening message. Is everyone all right?””
I nodded.
“Someone locked us inside.””
Reed looked toward the garage.
“Did you see who activated the lock?””
“Robert Sterling. He spoke through the security system.””
The detective's expression changed slightly.
“Your stepfather?””
“Yes.””
He took out a notebook.
“Do you have proof?””
Daniel held up the case.
“We have documents that may be connected to financial fraud involving Sterling Maritime.””
Reed looked at the case.
“Then I suggest you don't remove anything else without documenting it.””
He called for another officer to inspect the property.
While we waited, I noticed Julian standing near the garden wall.
His hands were shaking.
I approached him.
“Are you hurt?””
He shook his head.
“I'm fine.””
“Then tell me what you're not saying.””
He looked toward the house.
“Robert called me last night.””
I waited.
“He said Mom was upset about the meeting. He told me you would try to turn everyone against each other.””
“What else?””
Julian swallowed.
“He said if I cooperated with him, I'd become CEO within thirty days.””
I stared at him.
“And what did he want you to do?””
“Sign another document.””
“What document?””
“He said it was a final authorization. Something that would give him temporary access to the company accounts until the estate was settled.””
I felt a chill.
“Did you sign it?””
“No.””
“Why?””
Julian looked ashamed.
“Because Dad called me an hour before he died.””
I went still.
“What?””
Julian's eyes filled.
“He asked me to come to the hospital. I was supposed to meet him that evening, but Robert told me Dad was angry and didn't want to see me.””
“You never told me this.””
“I thought Dad hated me.””
“Julian, what did he say on the phone?””
He looked down.
“He said, ‘Son, whatever happens, don't sign anything Robert puts in front of you.’”
I stared at my brother.
“Why didn't you listen?””
“Because Robert told me Dad was confused. He said you were going to take the company and leave me with nothing.””
I closed my eyes briefly.
My father had tried to warn both of us.
He had known Robert would use our weaknesses against us.
Mine was my desire to protect the family.
Julian's was his desperation to prove he deserved his father's approval.
A police officer approached.
“Detective Reed, we found a damaged security connection near the garage control panel.””
Reed nodded.
“Photograph it. Don't disconnect anything else.””
Then he turned to me.
“Captain Sterling, I'd like to ask you a few questions about the threats you've received.””
I handed him my phone.
He read the message.
His expression became serious.
“Has this number contacted you before?””
“No.””
“Did you recognize the vehicle outside?””
“No. But Daniel saw it too.””
Daniel confirmed.
Reed returned the phone.
“We'll preserve the message. For now, I recommend you avoid confronting Mr. Sterling directly.””
I almost laughed.
“I wasn't planning to invite him to dinner.””
The detective didn't smile.
“This is serious. If someone is interfering with evidence or threatening witnesses, we need to handle it properly.””
I nodded.
He glanced at the leather case.
“What exactly is inside?””
“Company records, USB drives, and documents connected to a suspected fraudulent transfer.””
“Who has access to the company?””
“Currently? My father appointed me controlling shareholder and designated successor under his will.””
“Does Mr. Robert Sterling have any authority?””
“Not according to the will.””
Daniel added, “And not according to the company's registered board records.””
Reed wrote something down.
“Then we have a starting point.””
An hour later, Daniel and I were in his office.
Julian had gone home with a police escort.
I sat opposite Daniel while he connected one of the USB drives to a secure computer.
The first folders contained financial records.
The second contained scanned contracts.
The third was labeled:
*RICHARD STERLING — PERSONAL RECORDINGS.*
Daniel looked at me.
“Are you ready?””
I nodded.
He opened the first audio file.
My father's voice filled the office.
“Robert, explain why four hundred thousand dollars left the company account yesterday.””
Another voice answered.
Robert.
“Richard, we've discussed this. It's an investment.””
“Where is the investment agreement?””
“I'll have Victor send it.””
“You said that three weeks ago.””
A chair scraped.
Then my father's voice became sharper.
“I checked the account. Harbor Ridge has no operating assets, no employees, and no legitimate contracts. You're using my company to move money into an empty shell.””
Robert laughed.
“You're making this personal.””
“It became personal when you used my son's signature.””
The recording crackled.
Then Eleanor's voice entered.
“Richard, please. We can discuss this privately.””
My father answered.
“That's exactly what we've been doing for months. And nothing has changed.””
A pause.
Then Robert spoke again.
“You should think about your health. You're not as strong as you used to be.””
My father's voice dropped.
“Are you threatening me?””
“I'm giving you advice.””
The recording ended.
I sat completely still.
Daniel opened another file.
“This one was recorded two days before your father collapsed.””
I nodded.
He pressed play.
My father was speaking to someone whose voice I didn't recognize.
“I have copies of everything,” he said.
“If anything happens to me, Sienna gets the originals.””
The unfamiliar man answered.
“Then you should tell her now.””
“I will. But first I need to know how far Robert has gone.””
The man hesitated.
“Richard, there's another problem.””
“What?””
“Eleanor signed the transfer agreement.””
My blood ran cold.
My father said nothing for several seconds.
Then he asked quietly:
“Does she understand what she's signing?””
“I don't think so.””
“And Julian?””
“He signed the authorization. Robert told him it was a management document.””
My father exhaled.
“God help us.””
The recording stopped.
I stared at the screen.
Daniel leaned forward.
“There is one more file. Your father specifically marked it for you.””
He opened it.
The recording began with the sound of a door closing.
Then my father's voice.
“Sienna, if you're hearing this, I couldn't tell you everything in person.””
I pressed my fingers against my lips.
“I'm sorry, sweetheart. I thought I had more time.””
His voice broke slightly.
“I need you to understand something. Your mother is involved, but she isn't the person who planned this.””
I leaned toward the computer.
“Robert didn't come into this family because he loved Eleanor,” my father continued.
“He came because he knew what I had built.””
There was a long silence.
Then he spoke again.
“And he didn't act alone.””
Daniel paused the recording.
I looked at him.
“Why did you stop it?””
He pointed toward the screen.
A new notification had appeared.
An email had arrived from an unknown sender.
Its subject line read:
*THE REAL OWNER OF HARBOR RIDGE.*
Daniel opened it.
There was one attachment.
A scanned certificate of incorporation.
I read the names.
Robert Sterling.
Victor Haines.
And a third shareholder.
My eyes moved to the final line.
*Eleanor Sterling — 51% ownership.*
I sat back.
My mother wasn't merely listed as a beneficiary.
She controlled the company.
Then I noticed the date of incorporation.
It was eighteen months before my father died.
And beneath the ownership details was a handwritten note.
Richard never knew who was really behind the arrangement.
I looked at Daniel.
“Who sent this?””
He checked the sender information.
His face changed.
“Someone using an address registered to Sterling Maritime.””
“Who?””
He turned the screen toward me.
The sender's name was Julian Sterling.
But my brother was supposed to be at home.
May you like
And the message contained one final sentence.
*Sienna, Mom knows you've found the safe. Get out of Dad's house before tonight. She's coming for the original will.*
