Chapter 14 - The Chair
Clara refused the chairmanship before the meeting started.
Half the board looked shocked.
The other half looked relieved.
"I am a creditor, shareholder, and victim of a fraudulent guarantee," she said. "Making me chair today would create more conflicts, not fewer."
An older director named Susan Park leaned forward. "Then what do you propose?"
One director frowned. "That could trigger defaults."
"So could pretending nothing happened."
The vote passed eight to three.
Olivia was removed.
Ethan was suspended.
Susan Park became interim chair.
For the first time in forty-eight hours, Clara felt something close to progress.
Then Martin slid a note toward her.
CALL FROM HOSPITAL - HELEN.
Clara stepped out.
"Mom?"
Clara's chest tightened.
"What?"
Clara leaned against the wall.
The room around her went blurry.
"I'm coming."
"Don't look at me like that."
Clara took her hand. "Like what?"
"Like you're trying to control the universe."
Clara laughed through tears.
Robert put an arm around both of them.
The doctor entered with updated imaging.
Clara let out a breath she felt she had been holding since the pool.
Then Robert's phone rang.
He answered.
His face went pale.
"Who is this?"
A woman's voice came faintly through the speaker.
"Mr. Devereux? My name is Anna Hale. Victor Hale is my father. And I have something he hid from everyone."
Anna Hale was twenty-four and terrified.
They met at a police station.
She carried a backpack against her chest like armor.
She placed a notebook on the table.
"Why didn't you?" Clara asked.
Anna looked at her. "Because I saw the wedding video."
The video had gone viral overnight.
Olivia's shove. Ethan standing still. Clara canceling the wedding.
Millions of strangers had opinions.
Anna had something better.
Records.
Victor kept handwritten logs of jobs Olivia never wanted on company systems.
Threats.
Payoffs.
Surveillance.
Damage control.
One entry from twenty-two years ago read:
D.W. - vehicle pressure applied. No further contact.
Rachel read it twice.
Her hands began to shake.
"Pressure," she whispered. "What does that mean?"
Anna swallowed. "I don't know."
He found something everyone else had missed.
Victor had been nineteen at the time of Daniel's death and worked at the same repair shop that serviced Daniel's car.
Clara looked at Anna.
"Your father was there."
Anna began crying. "I didn't know. I swear."
Rachel stood and walked to the window.
For twenty-two years she had aimed all her anger at Olivia.
Now the line ran through Victor too.
Martin turned another page.
A newer entry appeared under Clara's name.
Below it, in different handwriting, was a note:
NO PHYSICAL CONTACT. E.S.
Clara stared at the initials.
Ethan.
He had known about Plan B.
Maybe not the exact act.
But enough.
May you like
Her phone rang from the county detention center.
Ethan was requesting one final conversation.
