Chapter 9 - Amelia’s Second Warning
The hidden compartment required pressing two tiny brass pins beneath the music box.
Nathan had owned the box for years.
He had never known.
Inside lay one folded sheet and a small memory card.
The letter was written during Amelia’s final month of life.
Nathan—
I hope this is fear talking.
Grant introduced me to a woman named Bianca Laurent during the Summit Crest renovation. She asked too many questions about our family trust.
She wanted to know whether Lily’s shares revert to you if Lily dies young.
I told Grant never to bring her into our business again.
If he does, be careful.
Nathan stopped reading.
The room went silent.
Catherine whispered, “Bianca met Amelia.”
Nathan felt physically ill.
Three years of marriage memories rearranged themselves.
Bianca had once said she wished she could have met Amelia.
She had stood beside Amelia’s photograph and told Lily, “Your mom must have been extraordinary.”
She had lied while looking at a dead woman’s face.
Nathan continued reading.
Grant says Bianca is simply ambitious and curious.
Maybe he is right.
But I no longer trust his judgment where Ridgewell is concerned.
If I do not have time to investigate, the memory card contains copies of what I found.
Please protect Lily from becoming part of a deal.
A.
Nathan inserted the card into an isolated laptop with Rebecca and investigators present.
The files dated back four years.
Emails.
Transaction models.
Ridgewell presentations.
One audio recording.
Amelia’s voice filled the room.
“Grant, I said no.”
Grant answered, “You’re being emotional.”
“I am dying. That doesn’t make me stupid.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
Grant: “Ridgewell can solve the debt problem.”
Amelia: “By buying HLG for half its value?”
Grant: “By giving Nathan liquidity.”
Amelia: “And giving you eight million dollars.”
Silence.
Then Grant said, “You shouldn’t have seen that.”
Amelia answered, “Exactly.”
Nathan gripped the table.
The recording continued.
Amelia: “Who is Bianca Laurent?”
Grant: “A designer.”
Amelia: “A designer who asked Rebecca about Lily’s remainder clause?”
Grant: “She works with wealthy families.”
Amelia: “Keep her away from my daughter.”
The recording ended.
Detective Ruiz sat back.
“This proves Grant and Bianca knew each other before Bianca met Nathan publicly.”
Rebecca nodded.
“And that Bianca knew the trust provisions.”
Nathan whispered, “Amelia warned me from the grave.”
Catherine looked at him.
“No.”
Nathan frowned.
“She warned you while she was alive.”
The correction hurt.
Catherine continued.
“You just didn’t know where to listen.”
Investigators searched old email archives.
Nathan eventually found a message Amelia had sent him five days after recording Grant.
Can we talk about Grant tonight? Important.
Nathan’s reply:
Chicago disaster. Tomorrow?
Tomorrow had become chemotherapy complications.
Then hospitalization.
Then morphine.
Then death.
Tomorrow never came.
Nathan covered his face.
Rebecca quietly said, “You could not know.”
“But I could have answered.”
No one argued.
That afternoon the board placed Grant on administrative leave.
He refused to resign.
Through counsel, he denied any knowledge of Bianca’s attempt to harm Lily.
Ridgewell suspended Evan Cross pending internal investigation and withdrew its purchase offer.
HLG’s valuation fell sharply.
Banks began asking questions.
Employees feared layoffs.
Nathan’s personal scandal had become corporate crisis.
Then Bianca’s lawyer produced another attack.
He filed a motion suggesting Nathan had manipulated Lily’s statements because he wanted to invalidate the postnuptial agreement and avoid paying Bianca tens of millions in divorce.
Nathan stared at the filing.
“They’re saying I coached my own daughter?”
David nodded.
“They’ll argue financial motive.”
“This is disgusting.”
“Yes.”
“What do we do?”
“Nothing publicly.”
Nathan laughed bitterly.
“I hate that answer.”
“I know.”
Bianca’s defense also attacked Thomas.
They claimed he sold the video to a television network.
He had.
After giving the original to police, Thomas licensed portions to cover travel expenses and legal fees.
Bianca’s lawyers called him financially motivated.
Thomas was devastated.
“I thought the original was already evidence.”
“It is,” Ruiz told him.
“Did I ruin it?”
“No.”
“But a jury will hear I got paid.”
“Yes.”
Thomas lowered his head.
Nathan recognized the feeling.
One imperfect decision threatening to overshadow a good act.
He called Thomas that evening.
“You saved my daughter.”
Thomas sighed.
“Jake saved her.”
“You saved the truth.”
Thomas was silent.
Nathan continued.
“Whatever a lawyer says about your licensing agreement, you were filming before anyone knew there would be a crime.”
“That’s what my lawyer says.”
“Your lawyer is right.”
Thomas laughed softly.
“Coming from you, that’s reassuring.”
Then his tone changed.
“There is one thing I never told police because I didn’t think it mattered.”
Nathan sat forward.
“What?”
“After Bianca pushed Lily, before Jake reached the water, Bianca didn’t scream for help.”
Nathan stopped breathing.
“What did she do?”
Thomas answered quietly.
“She watched.”
“For how long?”
“Four or five seconds.”
In an emergency, four seconds could be forever.
May you like
Thomas continued.
“And she smiled.”
