Chapter 3 - Richard’s Password
Rachel drove to her parents’ estate after sunset.
Martin tried to stop her.
“You have an injured child at home.”
“Denise is with Emma for an hour.”
“You should let police handle the evidence.”
“My father’s account deleted that video.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t confront him alone.”
Rachel looked at Martin.
“My father left me a note about North Star before any of this happened.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s on your side.”
Rachel knew that.
It still hurt.
She entered through the front hall with her old key.
Richard sat alone in his study.
He looked twenty years older than he had that morning.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Did you delete the video?”
His eyes closed.
That was answer enough.
Rachel’s voice broke.
“Dad.”
“I didn’t see what happened until afterward.”
“You erased evidence involving Emma.”
“I erased what Evelyn told me to erase.”
“That’s worse.”
Richard stood.
“You think I don’t know?”
“Then why?”
He moved to the window.
“Because your mother told me if the police got the video, everything else on the server would be subpoenaed.”
Rachel stared.
“Everything else?”
Richard said nothing.
“North Star?”
His shoulders sank.
Rachel approached him.
“What is it?”
“A shell.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Whose?”
“I don’t know who legally owns it.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I know who controls it.”
Rachel waited.
Richard turned.
“Evelyn.”
Rachel felt the room shift.
“How much?”
“At least eight million. Maybe more.”
“Why?”
“She called it an executive reserve.”
“That isn’t a thing.”
“I know.”
“You signed transfers?”
“Some.”
“Dad.”
“I thought they were vendor payments.”
“You founded the company.”
“And then I got old and comfortable.”
The shame in his voice was real.
Rachel hated that it moved her.
“You let Mom run finance after I left.”
“I was tired of war.”
“I left because she blocked my audit.”
“I know.”
Rachel’s eyes filled.
“You let everyone tell me I was paranoid.”
Richard looked down.
“I know.”
She slapped the desk with her palm.
“My daughter ended up on a hospital bed because you were tired of war.”
He flinched.
Silence settled between them.
Rachel forced herself back to the point.
“Why does Evelyn need the sale?”
“Seaboard’s diligence is shallow because they want the brand and distribution contracts. Once the sale closes, your mother expects the liabilities to disappear into integration.”
“They won’t.”
“She thinks they will.”
“And Vanessa?”
Richard hesitated.
“North Star paid her mortgage twice.”
Rachel stared.
“Her mortgage?”
“Her house in Darien. Three million dollars. Jason’s business collapsed last year. She hid it.”
Rachel remembered Vanessa’s vacations, jewelry, private-school tuition.
“Mom was buying her loyalty.”
“Maybe.”
“No. Definitely.”
Richard opened his desk drawer.
Empty.
His face changed.
“What?”
“There was a USB drive here.”
Rachel stiffened.
“What was on it?”
“Bank exports. Invoices.”
“North Star?”
“Yes.”
“Who knew?”
“Martin.”
“Mom?”
“No.”
A voice came from the doorway.
“Now I do.”
Evelyn.
She stood perfectly calm.
Vanessa behind her.
Rachel turned.
Evelyn’s gaze went to Richard.
“You always were weak when guilt became inconvenient.”
Richard looked stricken.
“You used Vanessa.”
Vanessa snapped, “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”
Rachel faced her.
“Did Mom pay your mortgage through North Star?”
Vanessa’s face changed.
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“She did.”
Vanessa pointed at Rachel.
“You got twenty-six percent of Dad’s company for being Eleanor’s favorite.”
“Grandma transferred shares equally based on the restructuring.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I have two percent more because you sold two percent back to the company nine years ago.”
“To pay Jason’s debt!”
“That was your decision.”
“And every decision you made was treated like genius.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“This is pointless.”
“No,” Rachel said. “This is finally becoming clear.”
Evelyn’s expression hardened.
“You want clear? Seaboard’s offer is one hundred eighty-six million dollars. Your shares are worth nearly forty-eight million. If you block the deal, lenders can call covenants after the fourth quarter.”
Rachel looked at Richard.
“Is that true?”
He didn’t answer.
Evelyn smiled.
“There. Saint Richard omitted that part.”
Rachel felt anger turn toward her father.
“What did you do?”
Richard whispered, “I borrowed against company real estate.”
“How much?”
“Thirty-two million.”
“For what?”
Evelyn answered.
“To fund expansion.”
Rachel knew from old financial statements that only eleven million had gone to expansion.
“Where did the rest go?”
No one spoke.
Rachel understood.
North Star.
Vanessa began pacing.
“This family is going to lose everything because Rachel needs to feel morally superior.”
Rachel stepped toward her.
“My daughter has a concussion.”
“And my daughter is terrified because police questioned me.”
“Your daughter told me you instructed Emma to sit in her chair.”
Vanessa stopped.
Evelyn’s head snapped toward Rachel.
“You spoke to Lily?”
Rachel saw genuine fear.
Not concern.
Fear.
That was important.
Evelyn turned to Vanessa.
“What did she say?”
Vanessa moved toward Rachel.
“Stay away from my child.”
Rachel raised her phone.
“Take another step.”
Richard moved between them.
For once.
“Enough.”
Vanessa looked stunned.
Richard faced Evelyn.
“I’m calling a special board meeting.”
“You don’t have the votes.”
“I’m chairman.”
“And I’m CEO.”
Rachel looked between them.
Power had split the marriage down the middle.
Richard said, “Tomorrow morning. Nine o’clock. Independent counsel. Full forensic audit.”
Evelyn smiled.
“No.”
Richard’s face hardened.
“Why?”
“Because you won’t be chairman tomorrow morning.”
She reached into her bag.
Placed a document on the desk.
Richard read it.
His knees nearly gave way.
Rachel grabbed the paper.
A written consent removing Richard Hart as chairman of Hartwell Home.
Signed by Evelyn.
Vanessa.
And a third shareholder.
May you like
Rachel stared at the final signature.
It looked exactly like hers.
