Chapter 4: The Daughter They Tried to Erase
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I stared at Emily.
She stood in front of me with tears running down her cheeks, clutching the strap of her handbag as though it were the only thing keeping her upright.
"Your accident was supposed to happen to me," she repeated.
I looked at Brooke.
"Explain.""
My wife shook her head.
"Ethan, this isn't the place.""
I almost laughed.
"Six months ago, you told me I was too sick to make decisions. Tonight, you laughed at me in front of three hundred people. Now my daughter is standing here telling me someone tried to kill her. I think this is exactly the place.""
Emily lowered her eyes.
"I was working at the company before the accident.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
"Not officially. I was an intern in the legal department. I used my mother's maiden name because I didn't want people knowing who I was.""
I looked at Brooke.
"You knew she was working for me?""
Brooke swallowed.
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I didn't think you would want to meet her.""
"That's not your decision.""
Emily stepped closer.
"Three weeks before your accident, I found something strange in the company's financial records. Several million dollars had been transferred into accounts that didn't belong to Vance Industries.""
I recognized the figures from Whitmore's documents.
"Northbridge Consulting?""
She nodded.
"Exactly. I reported it to the legal department, but my supervisor told me to forget about it.""
"Who was your supervisor?""
She looked toward Chad.
"Richard Coleman.""
Across the ballroom, the former chief financial officer shifted uncomfortably.
Chad immediately interrupted.
"She's making this up. Emily was an intern. She didn't have access to sensitive financial information.""
Emily opened her handbag and removed a small black notebook.
"I have the original account numbers.""
Chad's expression changed.
She continued.
"I also have copies of the emails instructing Richard to move the money.""
Richard stepped backward.
"That's impossible.""
Emily turned toward him.
"Would you like me to read your email from October fourteenth?""
He said nothing.
I looked at my daughter.
"Why would someone want to hurt you?""
Emily took a shaky breath.
"Because I discovered that the money wasn't being stolen randomly. Someone was using your company to finance a takeover. They needed your voting shares transferred before the next annual meeting.""
Whitmore nodded slowly.
"That explains the shell companies.""
Emily looked at him.
"There's more.""
She placed another photograph on the table.
It showed her standing outside the company building.
Behind her was the black SUV.
The same vehicle from Laura's footage.
"Someone followed me home after I reported the transfers," she said.
"I called my mother.""
I turned toward Brooke.
"You knew?""
Brooke's eyes filled.
"I was trying to protect her.""
"By saying nothing?""
"By keeping her away from you!""
Emily looked at her mother.
"You told me to leave the city.""
"I told you because I was frightened!""
"You told me Ethan was dangerous.""
Brooke covered her mouth.
I looked at Emily.
"What did she tell you about me?""
Emily hesitated.
"She said you had a temper. That you were controlling. That if I ever approached you, you'd try to take everything from me.""
I felt something tighten in my chest.
Twenty-two years.
I'd lost twenty-two years of knowing my own daughter.
And someone had made sure we stayed strangers.
"Emily," I said gently, "I didn't know you existed.""
She nodded.
"I believe you.""
"How?""
She reached into her coat and produced a yellow envelope.
Inside were several letters.
They were addressed to me.
My name appeared on every one.
The earliest was dated three years earlier.
"I wrote to you when I found out who you were," she explained.
"I sent the first letter to your office. It came back unopened.""
I examined the envelope.
The return address belonged to a small apartment in Boston.
"I sent another one six months later. Then another. Your assistant kept telling me you didn't want contact.""
I looked at Laura.
She shook her head.
"I never received them.""
Emily continued.
"Eventually, your wife called me.""
Brooke's face tightened.
"What did you tell her?""
Emily looked directly at her mother.
"The truth.""
Silence.
Then Emily said something I would never forget.
"She told me if I contacted you again, she would make sure you never knew I existed.""
I turned toward Brooke.
"Did you say that?""
Brooke started crying.
"I was protecting my marriage.""
"From my daughter?""
"From everything!""
Her voice rose.
"You don't understand what it was like living beside you, Ethan. You were always working. Always building something.
Always giving your attention to the company. I was alone.""
I stared at her.
"So you decided to steal my company?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"I deserved something.""
"Something?""
"I deserved security!""
I shook my head.
"You had a home. You had money. You had a husband who trusted you.""
"And you had everything else!""
Her words landed harder than she probably intended.
Emily stepped between us.
"Mom, stop.""
Brooke looked at her daughter.
"Don't you dare judge me.""
Emily's voice trembled.
"I spent twenty-two years wondering why my father didn't want me. You let me believe I wasn't worth knowing.""
Brooke looked away.
Then Chad interrupted.
"Can we all stop pretending this is some family reunion?""
He reached for Emily's notebook.
She pulled it away.
"Don't touch me.""
Chad's expression hardened.
"You have no idea what you've walked into.""
"I know enough.""
He turned toward me.
"Ethan, listen. We can still resolve this without involving the authorities.""
I stared at him.
"You're worried about the authorities?""
"I'm worried about the company.""
"You mean the company you stole?""
He stepped closer.
"Watch your mouth.""
I looked at the security guards.
"Nobody leaves.""
One of the guards nodded.
Chad laughed bitterly.
"You don't give orders here anymore.""
Whitmore reached into his jacket.
"Actually, he might.""
He removed a document and placed it on the table.
It was a certified copy of a shareholder resolution.
"Three days ago, the emergency voting restrictions on Ethan's original shares were lifted.""
Chad went still.
Whitmore continued.
"The court-appointed administrator has also frozen the Morrison Family Holdings trust pending investigation.""
Brooke stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
"It means the company cannot transfer another share without Ethan's authorization.""
For the first time, Chad looked genuinely defeated.
But then his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
A name appeared.
*RICHARD COLEMAN.*
Chad answered.
"Not now.""
I watched his face change.
"What?""
He turned away.
"You're sure?""
A pause.
Then he whispered:
"Get rid of it.""
He ended the call.
I looked at him.
"Get rid of what?""
Chad slipped the phone into his pocket.
"Nothing.""
Emily suddenly grabbed my arm.
"He's talking about the original accident report.""
I turned toward her.
"What original report?""
She looked terrified.
"The truck driver gave a statement before he disappeared. He said the brakes were deliberately disabled.""
I felt my throat tighten.
"Who disabled them?""
Emily looked toward Chad.
But before she could answer, every light in the ballroom went out.
Someone screamed.
A glass shattered.
Then I heard a woman's voice directly behind me.
"Emily, get down!""
May you like
A loud crash followed.
And when the emergency lights came on, my daughter was gone.
