Chapter 7 - THE PERSON NATHAN TRUSTED
Nathan wanted the name immediately.
Samuel refused to say it until Marcus had checked the house.
That alone frightened Nathan.
Marcus swept the rooms, examined the back entrance, and inspected Samuel’s phone for signs of compromise.
Only after he returned and locked the study door did Samuel speak.
“Rachel believed someone inside your executive office was feeding Graham information.”
Nathan’s expression hardened.
“Who?”
“She didn’t know at first.”
Samuel opened a folder.
“Then three weeks before she died, she followed the money.”
He handed Nathan a bank statement.
Payments from Meridian Advanced Holdings to a consulting company.
Nathan recognized the company name.
Ashbridge Advisory.
Lauren Shaw’s private LLC.
Nathan stared at it.
“No.”
Emma watched his face.
“Who is Lauren?”
“My assistant.”
“The one who bought our clothes?”
Nathan did not answer.
Samuel pointed to the payments.
“Twenty thousand dollars a month for eighteen months.”
Nathan shook his head.
“There’s an explanation.”
Marcus took the document.
“Maybe.”
Nathan looked at him.
“You think Lauren is involved?”
“I think we verify before deciding.”
Nathan’s anger sharpened.
“Lauren has been with me nine years.”
Marcus remained calm.
“And Graham has been your uncle your entire life.”
The sentence landed.
Nathan said nothing.
The drive back to Chicago was quiet.
Nathan sat beside Emma.
Sophie slept against her sister’s shoulder.
Finally Emma asked, “You trust her?”
“Lauren?”
“Yes.”
Nathan stared through the window.
“I did.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
He looked at Emma.
Rachel used to do that too.
Find the exact word you were avoiding.
“Yes,” he said. “I trust her.”
“Then ask her.”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“Why?”
“Because if she’s innocent, accusing her destroys something.”
“And if she isn’t?”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Then trusting her could get you hurt.”
Nathan looked at his daughter.
“You’re sixteen.”
“You keep saying that like it makes me stupid.”
“No.”
“What did Mom do when she didn’t know if someone was lying?”
Nathan almost smiled.
“What?”
“She asked a question she already knew the answer to.”
By the time they reached Lakeshore Medical, Nathan had a plan.
He called Lauren.
“We found Samuel Kerr.”
Silence.
Then, “And?”
“He had nothing.”
Nathan watched Marcus, who was listening from across the room.
“No records?”
“Nothing useful.”
Lauren exhaled.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Nathan continued.
“He did mention Rachel contacted him recently.”
Another tiny pause.
“About what?”
“He wasn’t sure.”
Nathan leaned back.
“I’m heading home. Emma will stay at the hospital.”
“That’s probably safest.”
Nathan’s eyes narrowed.
“What about Sophie?”
“With Emma?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll have security maintain coverage.”
Nathan deliberately added, “Marcus is coming with me.”
“Good.”
He ended the call.
Emma watched him.
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“You’re good at it.”
“I’m a CEO.”
“That sounds concerning.”
Despite himself, Nathan smiled.
Then he turned serious.
“Tonight, nobody enters this room.”
Emma nodded.
Nathan crouched in front of Sophie.
“I need you to stay with Emma.”
“Where are you going?”
“To work.”
“At night?”
“Unfortunately, billionaires have terrible schedules.”
Sophie frowned.
“Mom said rich people have people to do things for them.”
Emma laughed.
Nathan gave her a look.
“I’ll be back.”
Sophie pointed at him.
“Promise?”
Nathan’s chest tightened.
“Promise.”
Nathan left the hospital at 9:05 p.m.
Marcus went with him.
But they did not go home.
They entered an unmarked vehicle in the underground garage and drove directly to Northstar.
The building appeared mostly empty.
Only a few lights glowed on executive floors.
Marcus accessed the security system privately.
“Lauren badged in twenty minutes ago.”
Nathan’s stomach tightened.
“She told me she was going home.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Question she already knew the answer to.”
Nathan stared ahead.
They took the service elevator.
When they reached the forty-first floor, Nathan saw a light beneath Lauren’s office door.
He approached silently.
Voices.
A man.
Nathan recognized it.
Graham.
He stopped.
Marcus activated a recording application.
Inside, Graham spoke angrily.
“You should have destroyed the files when I told you.”
Lauren answered.
“I told you I wasn’t doing that.”
Nathan’s breath caught.
Graham lowered his voice.
“You took the money.”
“For information about the Sterling negotiations.”
“You took the money.”
“To find out what you were doing.”
Nathan looked at Marcus.
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Inside, Graham laughed.
“You think Nathan will believe that?”
Lauren replied, “I don’t need him to.”
“Oh, you absolutely do.”
A chair scraped.
“You’ve been lying to him for eighteen months.”
Lauren’s voice hardened.
“I’ve been collecting evidence for eighteen months.”
Nathan’s eyes widened.
Graham went silent.
Then—
“What evidence?”
Lauren answered too quickly.
“Enough.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
Bad answer.
Graham knew it too.
“You have no idea what you’re playing with.”
“I know you stole Northstar credentials.”
“You can’t prove that.”
“I know you arranged surveillance on Rachel Bennett.”
Silence.
“I know you contacted Sentinel.”
Longer silence.
“And I know the SUV wasn’t stolen.”
Nathan felt fury surge.
Graham’s voice became cold.
“You should have stayed an assistant.”
Lauren replied, “You should have stayed an uncle.”
A sudden noise.
Nathan moved.
He opened the door.
Graham spun around.
Lauren stood behind her desk.
A folder was open in front of her.
Nathan looked at Graham.
“Surprise.”
For once, his uncle had no polished response.
“Nathan.”
“Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Graham looked toward Marcus.
“This is absurd.”
Nathan entered.
“Is it?”
“You’re secretly recording private conversations now?”
Nathan smiled without humor.
“You secretly tried to steal nine hundred million dollars.”
Graham’s face tightened.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Nathan turned to Lauren.
“Do I?”
Lauren’s eyes were wet.
“I can explain.”
“Start with the money.”
She went pale.
“You found Ashbridge.”
“Yes.”
Nathan’s voice was quiet.
“Eighteen months, Lauren.”
“I know.”
“Twenty thousand a month.”
“Yes.”
“You took money from Graham.”
“Yes.”
Nathan stared at her.
She looked devastated.
“I had a reason.”
“I’m listening.”
Lauren swallowed.
“Two years ago, I noticed Graham requesting access to transaction files he shouldn’t have been reviewing.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your father trained you to believe family problems stayed inside the family.”
Nathan flinched.
Lauren continued.
“And because Graham had allies on the board.”
“So you became his consultant?”
“I made him believe I could be bought.”
Nathan stared.
“You could have come to me.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“Fourteen months ago.”
Nathan frowned.
“I gave you a folder during the Denver conference.”
“I never saw one.”
Lauren’s face changed.
“You signed for it.”
“No.”
Graham’s expression became unreadable.
Marcus noticed.
“So somebody forged Nathan’s signature again.”
Lauren looked at Graham.
“You intercepted it.”
Graham laughed.
“This is becoming pathetic.”
Nathan stepped toward him.
“Did you order the SUV?”
“No.”
“Did you have Rachel followed?”
Graham paused.
“Yes.”
Lauren closed her eyes.
Nathan’s voice sharpened.
“Why?”
“Because she contacted Samuel Kerr.”
“And?”
“She threatened to expose private family matters.”
“Emma is not a private family matter.”
“She was a risk.”
Nathan’s face went still.
“My daughter is not a risk.”
Graham met his eyes.
“To Northstar? She absolutely is.”
Nathan moved so quickly Marcus stepped between them.
“Don’t,” Marcus warned.
Nathan looked over his shoulder.
“Did you order the car?”
Graham adjusted his jacket.
“No.”
“The vehicle came from Sentinel.”
“I hired surveillance.”
“Who had access?”
Graham smiled slightly.
“Ask your security department.”
Marcus stared at him.
“You’re blaming me?”
“I’m pointing out that many people use Sentinel.”
Nathan said, “The fake orderly?”
“No idea.”
“Threatening call?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
Graham looked toward Lauren.
“But before you make me the villain in your new family drama, ask your loyal assistant why she never told you Rachel contacted Northstar directly.”
Nathan turned.
Lauren went pale.
“What is he talking about?”
Graham smiled.
“Rachel called this office.”
Nathan stared at Lauren.
“When?”
“Eight weeks ago,” Graham said.
Nathan’s voice dropped.
“Lauren?”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
The betrayal hit instantly.
“She called you?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
Lauren’s voice broke.
“She begged me not to.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because she wanted to speak to you in person.”
“Then why didn’t she?”
“She was scared.”
“Of me?”
“No.”
Lauren looked at Graham.
“Of whoever was watching her.”
Nathan’s anger fought with confusion.
“What did she tell you?”
Lauren’s eyes filled with tears.
“She said she had proof that Emma was your daughter.”
Nathan could barely speak.
“And you kept that from me?”
“I was trying to arrange a private meeting.”
“For eight weeks?”
“It wasn’t eight weeks.”
Lauren’s voice cracked.
“She died six days after she called me.”
Nathan froze.
The room became silent.
Six days.
Rachel had tried one final time to reach him.
Six days later, she was dead.
Nathan looked at Graham.
“You said she was a risk.”
Graham’s expression hardened.
Nathan spoke slowly.
“How exactly did Rachel die?”
Lauren whispered, “Nathan…”
He looked at her.
“Was anyone with her?”
Lauren swallowed.
“The hospital report says she collapsed at work.”
Marcus was already typing into his phone.
Nathan stared at Graham.
His uncle finally looked uncomfortable.
Then Marcus’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His face changed.
“What?”
Marcus looked directly at Nathan.
“The hospital just called.”
Nathan’s heart dropped.
“Emma?”
“She’s safe.”
Nathan exhaled.
“Then what?”
Marcus looked toward Graham.
“Someone triggered a fire alarm on the private floor.”
Nathan froze.
“And during the evacuation…”
May you like
Marcus’s voice hardened.
“Sophie disappeared.”
