Chapter 14 - Forty-Eight Hours
Ryan rejected Celeste’s settlement.
The retaliation came before lunch.
A private video of Ryan arguing with Henry appeared online.
It had been recorded in Ryan’s own study the year before Henry died.
Henry shouted, “You don’t read what you sign!”
Ryan answered, “I built this company while you criticized every decision!”
“You built it on shortcuts!”
“And if you keep undermining me, I’ll bury your audit so deep nobody remembers it existed!”
The video ended.
No context.
No explanation that “audit” referred to Henry’s informal review of hotel renovation costs, not Summit Crest.
No footage of Ryan apologizing ten minutes later.
Within hours, business networks repeated the clip.
MERCER ALPINE EX-CEO THREATENED TO “BURY” AUDIT.
Ryan watched from Dana’s office.
“Celeste?”
Dana said, “Or Victor.”
“Does it matter?”
“Legally, yes.”
“Emotionally, not much.”
The board released a statement emphasizing that Ryan no longer held an executive role.
Lenders demanded additional reporting.
One minority investor filed a civil complaint alleging governance failures.
Then came the real blow.
The interim CEO informed directors that Copper Ridge needed immediate strategic review because Mercer Alpine’s credit facility had tightened.
Summit Peaks renewed its $82 million offer.
Forty-eight-hour acceptance window.
Ryan slammed the report onto Dana’s desk.
“They created the crisis and now they’re rushing the sale.”
Dana nodded.
“Priya believes so.”
“Then stop it.”
“We are seeking a temporary restraining order.”
“On what basis?”
“Conflict of interest, likely fraud, improper buyer financing.”
“Likely?”
“We still need the ownership link.”
Ryan paced.
“Summit Peaks gives Celeste thirty percent.”
“Draft distribution schedule.”
“Victor twenty.”
“Same document.”
“Red Mountain emails.”
“Strong.”
“Then what are we missing?”
“Independent evidence that Summit Peaks is actually controlled by them.”
Ryan hated the phrase independent evidence.
Evidence kept existing one inch beyond his reach.
Priya entered carrying a folder.
“I found something else.”
Ryan looked at her.
“Good something?”
“Complicated something.”
She placed old expense reports on the desk.
Victor had traveled repeatedly to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City during Summit Peaks’ formation.
One reimbursement included a wire fee charged accidentally to his corporate card.
The reference field read:
SPA CAPITALIZATION — VM HOLDINGS.
“VM?” Ryan asked.
“Victor Michael Dane,” Priya said. “His middle name is Michael.”
“Can we prove VM Holdings is his?”
“State records list a nominee manager.”
“Of course.”
“But Camille remembers something.”
They called her.
Camille explained that Victor once asked her to forward tax documents to his home.
One PDF had “VM Holdings” in the filename.
She had archived the email.
Priya found it.
Attached was a K-1 tax form from an investment partnership.
VM Holdings LLC.
Taxpayer name:
Victor M. Dane.
Ryan exhaled.
“There.”
Dana nodded.
“Better.”
“And Celeste?”
“Her connection is already through the distribution agreement and Laurel Ridge.”
“File.”
Dana did.
That evening, Celeste called Ryan directly.
He almost did not answer.
Then he remembered something Dana had told him: do not seek confrontation, but do not fear lawful communication.
He answered.
“Ryan.”
“What do you want?”
“You should have taken the settlement.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“You think this is about money.”
“I think most of it is.”
“You still don’t understand.”
“Then explain.”
Silence.
Celeste said, “Victor is going to sacrifice me.”
Ryan sat down.
“Why tell me?”
“Because you were right.”
He waited.
“He’s telling investigators Laurel Ridge was mine, that I manipulated vendor payments, that he only knew about the affair.”
“Is that false?”
“Partly.”
“Which part?”
“He designed Summit Peaks.”
“We know.”
“He controlled Summit Crest before I ever touched it.”
“We know that too.”
Celeste went silent.
Ryan heard fear.
Real fear.
“What do you want?”
“Protection.”
“From Victor?”
“From prison.”
Ryan closed his eyes.
“You beat Emma with a belt.”
“I lost control.”
“You keep saying that like losing control is a weather event.”
“I’m Noah’s mother.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t lose him.”
“You should have thought about that before you made him afraid of you.”
Celeste began crying.
Ryan felt the old reflex.
Fix it.
Calm her.
Make the crying stop.
He did not.
After a moment, she said, “I have proof against Victor.”
“What proof?”
“A phone.”
Ryan’s pulse changed.
“Where?”
“I need a deal first.”
“I can’t give you a criminal deal.”
“You know people.”
“No.”
“Ryan—”
“No.”
“Then Copper Ridge sells.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m telling you Victor will win.”
“Where is the phone?”
Celeste laughed through tears.
“You really still think I’m stupid.”
The call ended.
Ryan immediately called Dana.
“She has a phone.”
“Did she say what’s on it?”
“No.”
“Location?”
“No.”
Ryan thought of the chalet.
The window bench.
Celeste lunging toward the cushions after the envelope had already been visible.
At the time, he had assumed she wanted the envelope.
But Noah had been hiding beneath the bench.
Emma had been blocking Celeste’s view of the cavity.
Ryan called Emma from Megan’s house.
He chose his words carefully.
“Em, I need you to remember the first night at the chalet.”
“Okay.”
“When Celeste ran toward the bench, where was the envelope?”
Emma thought.
“Under the cushion.”
“Could she see it?”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything else under there?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Celeste ever hide a phone?”
Long silence.
Then Emma said, “A black one.”
Ryan stood.
“When?”
“Before you came home.”
“Where?”
Emma’s voice became uncertain.
“She put it behind the wood.”
“What wood?”
“The back part inside the bench. Noah kept trying to crawl after her.”
Ryan’s heart began pounding.
“Did she take it back out?”
“I don’t think so.”
He closed his eyes.
The envelope had been the obvious secret.
The phone had been behind it.
Celeste had not lunged for the papers Ryan found.
She had lunged for what was deeper inside.
Dana was already reaching for her coat.
“We need lawful access and evidence preservation.”
Ryan nodded.
His phone buzzed with the court docket alert.
The hearing on the Copper Ridge temporary restraining order had been scheduled for the next morning.
If the phone contained what Celeste claimed, it could end Victor’s plan.
If it was still there.
Then the chalet security application sent Ryan an alert.
FRONT DOOR OPENED.
Authorized code:
CELESTE MERCER.
Ryan stared at the screen.
Dana saw his face.
“What?”
“She’s at the chalet.”
Another alert appeared.
GARAGE ENTRY.
Second code.
VICTOR DANE.
May you like
The sale deadline was forty-eight hours away.
But the people who had built the conspiracy had just gone back to the place where it began.
