Chapter 8 - The Price of Forty-Eight Percent
Victor Lang was suspended by Warren Development’s audit committee.
He responded by filing suit.
He accused Michael of using a family crisis to seize corporate control and remove dissenting directors.
Markets reacted.
Lenders demanded information.
Two Lake Mercer financing partners froze negotiations.
Michael spent days defending a company while trying to keep his family alive.
Emily watched him change.
He stopped shouting in meetings.
Started asking questions.
Often unpleasant questions.
Especially about himself.
The independent audit revealed Victor had built a network of loyalty.
Three executives received bonuses through Shoreline.
Two foundation directors had consulting agreements with North Coast.
A city zoning adviser had accepted undisclosed payments.
Nothing yet proved murder conspiracy beyond Diane.
But the money structure was real.
Emily became a problem for Victor in another way.
Her architectural background allowed her to recognize something financial investigators initially missed.
North Coast’s development maps included parcels that were not part of the proposed Warren sale.
She spread the plans across Rachel Kim’s conference table.
“These parcels form a continuous corridor.”
Rachel frowned.
“So?”
“Lake access.”
Emily pointed.
“If North Coast owns this strip, they can build a private marina and luxury district independently.”
Michael leaned closer.
“The appraisal assumed public shoreline access.”
“Exactly.”
Victor had suppressed a design that increased the property value by nearly $190 million.
If Warren sold first, North Coast would capture that value.
Michael looked at Emily.
“You found this from drawings?”
“I’m an architect.”
A faint smile crossed his face.
For the first time since the pool, they felt briefly like partners.
Then Rachel ruined the moment.
“There’s a problem.”
She showed Emily a letter from Warren Development.
The company was considering civil claims against her for copying confidential materials.
Michael stood.
“I’ll stop it.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
“I’m CEO.”
“That is exactly why you shouldn’t interfere.”
Emily agreed.
“Let the investigation happen.”
Michael looked at her.
“You could be sued.”
“I did access files I wasn’t authorized to access.”
“You were right.”
“That doesn’t make the method automatically legal.”
Michael recognized his own lesson reflected back.
Truth did not erase mistakes.
He sat down.
“Fine.”
Emily smiled without warmth.
“Look at you.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
That evening Diane’s attorney requested a private meeting with Michael.
He refused.
Then Diane sent a letter through counsel.
Michael,
Victor is using you.
I can prove it.
Come alone.
Emily read it.
“Absolutely not.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“That sounded almost like you trust me.”
“I trust Rachel to stop you.”
Rachel nodded.
“Correct.”
Diane instead offered information through prosecutors.
She claimed Victor had designed the pool plan.
Her story:
Victor told her Leo’s death before his first birthday could preserve the foundation’s path to eighteen percent.
He told her Emily had to appear responsible.
He encouraged Diane to build a record of Emily being unstable.
But Diane insisted she never meant to kill Leo.
“It was supposed to look like I lost my grip,” she claimed. “Emily was supposed to rescue him immediately.”
Detective Cole stared at her.
“You dropped a six-month-old infant into a swimming pool.”
“I knew Emily was nearby.”
“You searched drowning survival times.”
“To make sure he would be safe.”
Even her lawyer looked uncomfortable.
The explanation was monstrous.
And weak.
But Diane gave them one useful fact.
Victor maintained a second phone in a locked office at a private club.
Police obtained a warrant.
The phone was gone.
The desk had been emptied.
Someone had arrived first.
Security footage showed a man entering the club at 2:18 a.m.
Baseball cap.
Dark coat.
Face hidden.
He used Victor’s membership code.
The man removed a document box and phone.
He left nineteen minutes later.
Police tracked his vehicle through traffic cameras.
It belonged to Paul Mercer.
Warren Development’s vice president of acquisitions.
Michael knew him well.
Paul was also Diane’s godson.
When police arrived at Paul’s condominium, he was gone.
On his kitchen counter they found an airline itinerary.
Toronto.
Departure in four hours.
And beside it, a handwritten note.
May you like
Diane failed.
Now Michael has to lose Leo another way.
