Chapter 6: The Name Beneath the Name
"Cara," Logan said.
His father didn't answer immediately.
That was answer enough.
"How long?"
"Garrett believes the arrangement started approximately three years ago." His father's hands were flat on the desk now, very still.
"Before you and Cara became serious.
Possibly before you met her."
The sentence rearranged everything Logan thought he knew about the last three years.
He sat with it for a moment, turning it over, looking at the shape of it.
"She came into my life through Marcus," Logan said slowly.
"That dinner.
The one he hosted when the company hit the five-year mark." He looked at his father.
"He introduced us."
"Yes."
"She was never — she wasn't—" Logan stopped.
Started again.
"She was placed."
"That is Garrett's working theory."
Logan stood up.
Walked to the window.
The street below was ordinary — a woman with a grocery bag, a delivery van double-parked, two teenagers on bikes.
The world continuing as if nothing had shifted.
"She spent three years inside my life," he said.
"Inside my home.
She knew every financial conversation I had.
Every meeting, every deal, every concern I brought home." He turned back toward his father.
"And last night, when she threw you out, she knew I would react.
She knew exactly what I would do."
"Yes."
"She needed me arrested.
She needed me discredited." Logan felt the full shape of it settle into place.
"Because your father was already asking questions, and if you went to the authorities with those printouts, the first thing anyone would look at was whether the signature was genuine.
And if it wasn't—"
"The trail leads back to them," his father finished.
"Not to you."
Logan pressed his hand flat against the window frame.
The glass was cold.
"She turned me into the story," he said.
"Man assaults girlfriend at party.
Father walks out.
Son arrested." He exhaled slowly.
"Nobody's looking at the company accounts while that's the headline."
"Not yet," his father said.
"But Garrett has been careful.
He made his own copies before Marcus could touch the originals.
And there is someone else — someone inside the company — who has been watching the accounts independently."
Logan turned.
"Who?"
"A young woman in the finance department.
She came to me six weeks ago.
She'd noticed the discrepancies and didn't know who to trust." His father picked up the mug again, both hands around it.
"She's been documenting everything quietly.
She has records Marcus doesn't know exist."
"What's her name?"
"Nora Chen.
She's been with the company two years.
She's twenty-six years old and she was frightened enough to come to an old man rather than go to her direct supervisor." His father looked at Logan carefully.
"Because her direct supervisor reports to Marcus."
Logan came back to the chair and sat down.
"We need to go to the authorities before Marcus realizes how much we have," he said.
"Garrett is already preparing the filing."
"And Nora?"
"She's safe.
She's been working remotely for the past two weeks on my instruction." His father paused.
"She doesn't know about last night.
She'll need to be told carefully."
Logan nodded.
He looked at the manila envelope on the desk.
Then he looked at his father.
"I'm sorry," Logan said.
"For last night.
For all of it."
His father looked at him for a long moment.
"You thought you were protecting me."
"I was protecting my anger.
You were right about that."
"I was right about the action," his father said quietly.
"I was wrong to leave without speaking to you.
Those are two separate things and I own both of them."
Logan reached across the desk.
His father took his hand and held it.
Outside, the delivery van finally moved.
The street opened up.
"What does Marcus do when he finds out we're filing?" Logan asked.
May you like
His father set down his mug.
"That," he said, "is what worries me most."
