Chapter 6: What Declan Had Not Told Her
Ethan ended the call and turned toward the conference room.
“No one heard that clearly.”
Harold opened the door.
“Every person in this corridor heard it.”
Ethan looked at his mother.
“You recorded me, and now you stand with them?”
Eleanor placed the recorder in Grace’s palm.
“I am standing where I should have stood from the beginning.”
Miriam unfolded the sealed amendment.
“At midnight, Grace’s shares increase from thirty-one to fifty-one percent if company assets have been concealed from her.”
“Convenient,” Ethan said.
“Her father reaches out from the grave to hand Pierce my company.”
Grace’s eyes moved to Declan.
“Did you know about this clause?”
Declan did not answer quickly enough.
“Did you know?” she repeated.
“Yes.”
The single word changed the room.
Grace stepped away from him.
“How long?”
“Six weeks.”
“You approached me three weeks ago.”
“I approached you after Martin showed my auditors the first account.”
“You let me believe I found you.”
“I needed to know whether you were involved.”
Her face tightened.
“You investigated me.”
“I investigated everyone.”
“While sitting in my home and asking about my father?”
Declan removed a document from his case.
“Your father contacted me two months before he passed.
He suspected someone would eventually use your trust against you.”
Grace stared at the signature.
“You knew him?”
“He asked me to promise that if the clause was ever triggered, I would offer the company enough financing to protect its employees.”
“And you did not tell me.”
“He made me promise not to interfere unless there was evidence.”
Grace pushed the paper back.
“Every man in this room seems to believe secrecy becomes honorable when he chooses the reason.”
Declan lowered his eyes.
“You are right.”
The admission silenced her more than an argument would have.
Ethan gave a cold laugh.
“There is your billionaire protector.”
“No,” Declan said.
“There is a man who kept a promise badly.”
Grace turned to Miriam.
“Can the amendment take effect without Pierce?”
“Yes.
But without new credit, payroll fails Friday.”
Ethan moved closer.
“Then you still need me.
Restore my authority, and I will bring the lenders back.”
“You drove them away.”
“And Pierce intends to buy them.”
Declan put both hands on the table.
“I will provide a bridge loan at the standard rate.
No equity.
No board seat.”
Harold blinked.
“You would lend eighty million dollars without control?”
“My agreement is with Grace’s company, not her shares.”
Grace looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because your father once stopped my first company from collapsing.
He refused equity then too.”
A laptop on the table sounded an alarm.
Martin’s voice burst from the speaker.
“Someone is deleting the backup server.”
Miriam rushed to the screen.
“Can you stop it?”
“I isolated one copy.
The command is coming from Ethan’s executive account.”
Ethan raised both hands.
“I am standing here.”
“Your security token is still active,” Martin said.
“Vanessa has it.”
Grace’s phone rang.
Her obstetrician’s name appeared.
“Dr.
Bennett?”
“Grace, someone called my office asking for your prenatal records.”
Grace looked at Ethan.
“Who?”
“The caller claimed to represent your husband’s custody attorney.”
Ethan shook his head.
“I did not authorize that.”
A message arrived from Vanessa before Grace could answer.
SIGN THE SHARES BACK TO ETHAN, OR TOMORROW EVERYONE WILL READ YOUR PRIVATE MEDICAL FILE.
Grace’s fingers went slack.
The phone struck the table.
Then she doubled over, gripping the edge with both hands.
“Grace?” Eleanor rushed to her.
Warm liquid spread across the marble beneath Grace’s shoes.
The resort doctor looked once and reached for her emergency bag.
May you like
“Call an ambulance,” she said.
“The baby is coming.”
