Chapter 15 - Sixty Million Reasons
Nathan’s personal guarantee changed the motive.
If Cormorant failed, he could owe up to sixty million dollars on top of his existing forty-seven million in personal debt.
He could lose everything.
His Manhattan penthouse.
The Connecticut estate interest.
Art.
Investment accounts.
His social position.
His control.
Sarah looked at Priya.
“Why would he take that risk?”
“Because he believed the vote was guaranteed.”
“Using Lucas’s trust.”
“Yes.”
“And my forged consent.”
“Yes.”
Nathan’s entire financial survival depended on two pieces of authority he never legally possessed.
When Sarah found the USB, the plan began collapsing.
The champagne bucket suddenly made more sense.
Vanessa had not panicked over embarrassment.
She knew that drive could expose the machinery supporting a hundred-million-dollar gamble.
Sarah called Daniel.
He came over immediately.
They sat at the same kitchen table where they had argued.
Sarah gave him the guarantee.
Daniel read silently.
Then leaned back.
“I won’t vote for Cormorant.”
“What changed?”
“This.”
“Why?”
“Because the extra financing is artificial.”
Sarah nodded.
Daniel continued.
“And because Nathan’s personal desperation contaminates the deal.”
“Good.”
He looked at her.
“You were right.”
“About?”
“I was using payroll as a reason not to confront what the deal really was.”
Sarah hesitated.
“You were also right.”
He looked surprised.
“About?”
“I don’t get to treat jobs as an abstract price for being morally correct.”
They sat quietly.
That was what rebuilding looked like.
Not one person winning every argument.
Both becoming harder to manipulate.
The next morning, Nathan requested the Cormorant vote be postponed.
That surprised everyone.
Sarah knew why.
He needed time to pressure shareholders.
Then Vanessa disappeared from custody.
Not literally.
Her bail had been granted under strict conditions after the assault charge was reduced during ongoing proceedings.
She failed to report to her attorney.
Her monitoring device was found in a hotel room.
Police began searching.
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“Nathan moved her.”
“Or she ran from him.”
They found out six hours later.
Vanessa called Sarah.
“Don’t hang up.”
“Where are you?”
“Safe.”
“Police are looking for you.”
“I know.”
“Then surrender.”
“I will.”
Sarah heard traffic.
“Why call me?”
“Because Nathan knows about the yacht safe.”
Sarah’s blood went cold.
“How?”
“Richard told him.”
“The evidence has already been copied.”
“I know.”
“He knows that too.”
“Then what does he want?”
Vanessa’s breathing became uneven.
“Edward’s original memory card.”
Sarah looked toward Daniel.
It remained with investigators.
“He can’t get it.”
“He thinks Lucas has another copy.”
Sarah stood.
“Why?”
“Because Lucas copied the USB twice.”
“How does Nathan know that?”
Silence.
“Vanessa.”
“I told him.”
Sarah’s fury sharpened.
“You told him about my son.”
“He threatened my sister.”
“I don’t care why.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
Sarah forced herself back under control.
“Where are you?”
“I’ll tell police.”
“Then do it.”
“Sarah.”
“What?”
“I never drugged you.”
Sarah said nothing.
“I planted the medication. I photographed it. I prepared the water because Nathan wanted footage that looked suspicious.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
That answer surprised her.
Vanessa continued.
“But there’s something I did that you don’t know.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“What?”
“I planted a listening device in Lucas’s room.”
Daniel stood.
Sarah’s voice became ice.
“You recorded my child.”
“Nathan wanted to know if Edward had told him anything.”
“You went into his bedroom.”
“Yes.”
Sarah could barely breathe.
“Where is it?”
“Removed months ago.”
“Where are the recordings?”
“Arden server.”
Detective Ruiz, listening through a lawfully arranged trace after Sarah signaled police, began moving officers.
Vanessa continued.
“There’s one recording Nathan is afraid of.”
“What?”
“Lucas talking to Edward.”
Sarah remembered the emails.
“About the yacht safe?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Vanessa whispered:
“Edward told Lucas where Nathan kept the original Bluewater contracts.”
Sarah stared.
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Lucas never said it on the recording.”
“Then why is Nathan afraid?”
“Because Edward told him something else.”
“What?”
“That if anything happened to him, Nathan should not be allowed near the company archive for thirty days.”
Sarah stopped.
Edward died fourteen months ago.
Nathan took control immediately.
“What did Nathan do in the first thirty days?” she asked.
Vanessa answered:
“He destroyed the contracts.”
Sarah looked at Daniel.
That was not news.
Then Vanessa added:
“But he didn’t know Edward had already sent originals somewhere else.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who does?”
Vanessa’s voice dropped.
“Richard.”
The call ended.
Police located Vanessa an hour later at a bus terminal in Providence.
She surrendered without resistance.
She also agreed to resume cooperation.
This time, prosecutors demanded full disclosure.
No selective truth.
No private leverage.
Vanessa accepted.
Her first statement implicated Nathan directly in surveillance, attempted forgery, evidence destruction, and financial fraud.
Her second statement implicated herself.
The third implicated Richard.
The fourth changed the entire case.
Nathan had not merely paid Vanessa after Edward died.
He had been paying her secretly for six months before Edward’s death too.
She had switched sides while Edward was still alive.
Meaning Edward’s final conversations with Vanessa may have been compromised.
Sarah remembered the audio:
Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Sarah doesn’t know I’m here.
May you like
Edward had trusted the wrong person.
Just like Sarah later did.
