Chapter 14 - The Price of Control
Richard offered Olivia a deal.
He sent it through lawyers.
If Olivia withdrew her challenge to the Caroline Trust voting rights and publicly stated that Ethan had improperly accessed Bennett information, Richard would restore her executive position.
He would also place CB Flight Systems into a new family trust for her.
Sarah read the proposal twice.
“He is offering to return something he may have stolen from you.”
“And asking me to lie.”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t say lie.”
“No lawyer writes ‘please lie’ in a settlement.”
Olivia looked at the final paragraph.
Richard would also withdraw Bennett’s claims against Ethan if Ethan executed a permanent confidentiality agreement and provided sworn testimony that Cole Industrial had no right to rely on Northstar data.
“He’s using Ethan.”
“He’s using everyone.”
Olivia declined.
Richard called immediately.
“You didn’t even counter.”
“There is nothing to negotiate.”
“You could save Ethan.”
“He can defend himself.”
“You love him.”
“Yes.”
The word came automatically.
Both of them heard it.
Richard softened his voice.
“Then help him.”
“By lying?”
“By telling the truth.”
“You mean your truth.”
“No. The truth that Alexander Cole used him.”
Olivia closed her eyes.
“Dad, Ethan lost his job because he admitted what he did.”
“Exactly.”
“He didn’t blame anyone.”
“Because he knows his father will protect him.”
“He refused Alexander’s money.”
Richard laughed.
“You still don’t understand rich men.”
Olivia almost laughed back.
“You are a rich man.”
“I became one.”
“So did Alexander.”
“He inherited access.”
“Not the company.”
Richard went silent.
Olivia knew she had touched the old wound.
Alexander had taken over a regional industrial firm from his father and expanded it twentyfold.
Richard had built Bennett from a leased warehouse with Caroline.
To Richard, Alexander’s success would always be less legitimate.
Maybe that resentment had helped turn Project Orion into a permanent war.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“You risked everything for Ohio.”
Richard said nothing.
“Seventy-three million.”
His breathing changed.
“Who told you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You have no right to discuss my personal finances.”
“When you use my trust shares to protect them, I do.”
“I was protecting Bennett.”
“I believe you.”
That stopped him.
“You what?”
“I believe you thought you were protecting Bennett.”
Silence.
Olivia continued.
“That doesn’t make what you did right.”
“You sound like Caroline.”
“Good.”
“You think that’s a compliment.”
“It is.”
Richard’s voice became quieter.
“She would have understood.”
“Then why forge her letter?”
He hung up.
That evening, the special committee discovered a second major problem.
Bennett had represented to Meridian Defense that all B-417 housings had passed required inspections.
The certification bore Martin Voss’s signature.
Copied on the email was Richard.
The committee demanded his testimony.
Richard invoked attorney-client privilege for several discussions.
Martin claimed engineering approval existed verbally.
Grace Liu produced a notebook from the day of the shipment.
One line:
RB: “Ship. We cannot miss Q1. Martin will paper afterward.”
Richard’s initials.
Not definitive proof.
But dangerous.
The board’s independent directors voted to place Martin on leave.
Richard attempted to block it.
He lost.
Then Martin turned on him.
Not publicly.
Privately.
Nina received a call.
“He wants protection.”
“From whom?” Olivia asked.
“Richard.”
“What does he have?”
“Records.”
Sarah arranged for Martin’s attorney to contact special-committee counsel.
Before the meeting occurred, Richard discovered it.
Martin disappeared.
His phone went off.
His attorney stopped responding.
Olivia feared the worst until a private plane record showed Martin had flown to Nassau.
“He ran,” Olivia said.
Sarah nodded.
“With something.”
“Or from something.”
Ethan arrived at Sarah’s office because his own lawyer was coordinating preservation issues.
Olivia had not seen him in six days.
He looked tired.
No suit.
No job.
No ring on his finger because there never had been one.
She suddenly hated that her father had managed to make absence visible.
Ethan stopped several feet away.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Sarah left them alone for a moment.
Olivia said, “Dad offered to drop the lawsuit against you.”
“In exchange for?”
“Me withdrawing the trust challenge and blaming you publicly.”
Ethan gave a short laugh.
“Efficient.”
“I said no.”
“Good.”
“Not because of you.”
“I know.”
She almost smiled.
“You really have to stop that.”
He nodded.
Then his face changed.
“There’s something else.”
Her heart sank.
“Please tell me you are out of secrets.”
“This one isn’t mine.”
“What?”
“Alexander received an approach from Caspian.”
Olivia froze.
“They offered to sell Richard’s debt.”
“To Cole?”
“Yes.”
“For how much?”
“Sixty-two million.”
She stared.
If Cole bought the debt, Alexander could potentially control the foreclosure process on Richard’s Bennett shares.
The accusation Richard had been screaming for weeks could become reality.
“Is Alexander buying it?”
Ethan answered carefully.
“He hasn’t decided.”
“Tell him no.”
“I already did.”
“And?”
Ethan looked away.
“He said business decisions are not mine to make.”
Olivia’s fear returned.
If Alexander bought Richard’s debt, Richard would finally have evidence for his favorite story.
May you like
Cole was coming for Bennett.
And the most frightening part was that this time, he might be right.
