Chapter 7 - The Deal Celeste Wanted
Elaine Porter came voluntarily.
Her lawyer came with her.
They met in Helen’s office.
Elaine removed her red coat and folded it across her lap.
“I made a serious ethical mistake,” she began.
Daniel said, “You accepted money to help my sister take my daughter.”
Her attorney raised a hand.
“Mr. Mercer—”
“No. Let her answer.”
Elaine swallowed.
“I was retained through a consulting company to provide general family-wellness guidance.”
“Seventy-five thousand dollars?”
“I did not receive seventy-five thousand.”
“Sixty-three.”
Her eyes changed.
Daniel knew he had guessed close enough.
Elaine looked at her attorney.
Then back at Daniel.
“Celeste told me she was concerned about Lily’s emotional stability after her mother’s death.”
“So you evaluated her secretly?”
“I spoke with her twice informally.”
“Without my consent.”
“Yes.”
“That’s not informal. That’s unethical.”
“Yes.”
The word surprised him.
Elaine’s hands tightened.
“She wanted a report stating Lily was experiencing anxiety related to paternal absence.”
“And did you write it?”
“I wrote a draft.”
“Where is it?”
“Celeste has it.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“What made you call us?”
Elaine looked ashamed.
“The garden footage.”
“You saw it?”
“It was sent to me by someone from the company asking whether the behavior could be characterized as reasonable discipline.”
Marcus muttered, “Unbelievable.”
Elaine continued.
“I realized Celeste had lied about the household.”
“What else did she ask you to do?”
“To be available if a court ordered a custody evaluation.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“She planned this for eight months.”
Elaine hesitated.
“Longer.”
Silence.
“How long?”
“She first contacted me shortly after Nora died.”
Daniel stood so abruptly his chair rolled backward.
Helen said, “Daniel.”
He walked to the window.
Elaine spoke carefully.
“She said Nora had privately expressed concerns about your parenting.”
Daniel turned.
“She used my dead wife to recruit you?”
“Yes.”
“Did Nora ever speak to you?”
“No.”
Daniel laughed without humor.
“So you accepted that too.”
“I did.”
Elaine’s eyes lowered.
“It was wrong.”
Daniel wanted to hate her.
But Elaine was talking.
That mattered.
“What did Celeste ultimately want?”
Elaine looked at her lawyer again.
Then answered.
“Guardianship was only leverage.”
Daniel frowned.
“What?”
“She said she didn’t expect to permanently remove Lily from you.”
“Then why—”
“She wanted you to resign from the trust and sign a voting proxy.”
Helen leaned forward.
“For Lily’s Mercer Coastal shares?”
“Yes.”
Daniel understood.
Celeste never needed to win a permanent custody battle.
She only needed Daniel frightened enough to surrender control.
Elaine reached into her bag.
“I kept messages.”
She handed over her phone.
One from Celeste read:
Daniel folds when Lily is involved. The objective is the proxy, not the child.
Another:
Once we have Blue Heron approved, everything calms down.
And another:
He’ll thank me later for saving the company from his sentimentality.
Daniel stared at the messages.
“She thinks this is business.”
“No,” Helen said quietly. “She thinks Lily is business.”
The Blue Heron project became the next battlefield.
Owen Price, acting CEO, scheduled an emergency board vote in ten days to accept a $152 million offer from Halcyon Development for the marina land.
It was far higher than the previous offer.
Too high.
Daniel studied the terms.
The buyer would pay Mercer Coastal $152 million.
But a side agreement granted “development consulting fees” worth twelve million to Marlin Strategic Holdings.
Grant Hollis’s company.
Daniel sent the agreement to a forensic accountant.
By evening, she called.
“The land is worth more.”
“How much?”
“Potentially two hundred million with entitlements.”
“So they’re selling it cheap.”
“And diverting twelve million in fees.”
“Can we stop the vote?”
“Not without board access or a court order.”
Helen filed for emergency injunctive relief based on the disputed trust amendment and alleged self-dealing.
Celeste countered immediately.
Her lawyers claimed Nora’s hidden records had been unlawfully obtained and manipulated by Daniel.
Then she struck harder.
A motion arrived in family court seeking temporary limits on Daniel’s ability to relocate Lily or discuss litigation with her.
Attached was an affidavit.
Signed by someone Daniel knew.
Martha Ellis.
Lily’s former nanny.
Martha claimed Daniel had screamed at Lily, left her alone repeatedly, and once driven after drinking.
Daniel stared at the signature.
“Martha loved Lily.”
Marcus said nothing.
“She worked for us for five years.”
Helen asked, “When did she leave?”
“Three months after Nora died.”
“Why?”
“She said she wanted to move closer to her son in Georgia.”
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
“What?”
“I checked payroll records.”
Daniel waited.
“Martha didn’t move to Georgia.”
“Where did she go?”
“She moved into a condominium in Boca Raton.”
“So?”
“The condo was purchased for cash.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“By whom?”
Marcus turned the laptop.
The purchaser was an LLC.
Marlin Strategic Holdings.
Daniel looked again at Martha’s affidavit.
Another person he had trusted had chosen Celeste’s money.
Then his phone rang.
Lily’s school.
He answered.
“Mr. Mercer, Lily is safe, but there’s been an incident.”
“What happened?”
“A woman arrived claiming she had permission to pick Lily up.”
Daniel stood.
“Who?”
The administrator hesitated.
“Your sister.”
Daniel’s blood ran cold.
“She is not authorized.”
“We know that now.”
“What does that mean?”
“She produced a notarized authorization form with your signature.”
Daniel looked at Helen.
“I never signed one.”
The administrator’s voice became quieter.
“Mr. Mercer, Celeste left before police arrived.”
Daniel grabbed his keys.
“Where is Lily?”
“In the principal’s office.”
“And Celeste?”
“We don’t know.”
When Daniel reached the school, Lily ran into his arms.
She was crying.
“She said you sent her.”
“I didn’t.”
“I knew.”
Daniel held her tighter.
“How?”
Lily whispered against his chest,
May you like
“Because she told me not to call you.”
---
