Chapter 14 - THE ENEMY INSIDE MY COMPANY
The first person I suspected was my CFO.
Then my general counsel.
Then my assistant.
But Rachel stopped me.
"Don't guess."
"Then what?"
"We set a trap."
We created three different versions of a confidential acquisition plan.
Each version contained a different false detail.
Only one person received each version.
Within forty-eight hours, Blackridge made an inquiry that matched one of the false details.
We had our answer.
It was my general counsel.
I couldn't believe it.
He had worked beside me for four years.
He had advised me during my marriage.
He had even attended my wedding.
We confronted him privately.
He didn't deny it.
"How long?"
"Two years."
"Why?"
"Money."
"Blackridge?"
He nodded.
"What did they want?"
"Your company."
I laughed bitterly.
"Of course."
He looked at me.
"They weren't interested in your husband."
"What?"
"They wanted you."
My smile disappeared.
"Why?"
"Because your company controls the Phoenix Heights portfolio."
I stared at him.
"That's why Michael married me?"
"Yes."
"And Leonard?"
"He wanted the trust."
"Blackridge wanted the company."
He nodded.
"And what did you want?"
He looked ashamed.
"To survive."
Rachel handed federal agents the evidence.
As they escorted him away, he turned toward me.
"You don't understand."
"What?"
"Blackridge isn't going to stop."
"Why?"
"Because they believe the trust gives you control of more than property."
He paused.
"It gives you control of something worth billions."
I froze.
"What?"
He smiled sadly.
"I never knew what it was."
That night, I opened my father's final letter.
The final page contained one sentence.
The greatest asset isn't land.
Underneath:
It is the voting control of the Coleman-Bennett network.
I read it twice.
Then I understood.
The trust wasn't simply an inheritance.
It was control.
Over hundreds of properties.
Investment funds.
Development companies.
And voting rights.
My father had created a mechanism that could dismantle the entire empire.
If I reached thirty-two, control would transfer to me.
But there was a problem.
My birthday was only six weeks away.
Blackridge knew.
They had six weeks to stop me.
Michael requested another meeting.
I went.
He looked exhausted.
"Blackridge is coming."
"I know."
"They'll kill you."
"You've said that before."
"This time I'm serious."
"Why should I believe you?"
He looked down.
"Because they already tried to kill me."
I stared at him.
"What?"
"They came to the jail."
"Who?"
"Men working for Blackridge."
He swallowed.
"They wanted me dead before I could testify."
I studied his face.
"Why are you helping me?"
He looked at me.
"Because I finally understand what I did."
I said nothing.
"I thought I was protecting my family."
"You were protecting yourself."
"Yes."
He nodded.
"I was a coward."
That was the first honest thing I had heard from him.
Then he said:
"There's one person you haven't considered."
"Who?"
"My grandmother."
I frowned.
"Hattie's mother?"
"No."
He shook his head.
"Leonard's wife."
I froze.
"She's alive?"
May you like
Michael nodded.
"And she's the person who actually built Blackridge."
