Chapter 11 - What Vanessa Wanted
Claire turned toward Vanessa, who had just reached the garage with Richard and Mia.
“What were you trying to steal?”
Vanessa stopped cold.
Mia stepped forward. “Answer her.”
Vanessa’s eyes moved to Claire’s bag.
“The letter.”
“What letter?”
“The one from your grandfather’s lawyer.”
Claire felt the air leave her lungs.
Three weeks earlier, she had received a letter from Paul Mercer, the attorney who had handled her late grandfather’s estate. He had requested a private meeting after the honeymoon. Claire had not thought much of it.
“How do you know about that?”
Vanessa looked at Margaret.
Margaret said nothing.
Vanessa finally snapped. “Because Mom opened your mail.”
Ethan recoiled. “What?”
Claire’s hands began to shake.
Margaret lifted her chin. “The envelope was delivered here accidentally.”
“So you opened it?” Claire asked.
“It concerned Cole Holdings.”
Claire stared at her. “No. It concerned me.”
Vanessa spoke quickly now, as if years of resentment had broken loose.
“Your grandfather owned shares in Cole Holdings through an old investment fund. Nobody knew the shares had passed to you.”
Richard closed his eyes.
Claire looked at him. “You knew too.”
“I found out last week.”
“How many shares?”
Richard answered quietly. “Eight percent.”
Ethan swore.
Claire understood immediately.
The trust seat from marrying Ethan gave her one vote.
The inherited shares gave her another block of power entirely.
Margaret had not been trying to bring Claire into the family.
She had been trying to control a shareholder before Claire realized she was one.
“Where is the letter?” Claire asked.
Vanessa looked down.
“I couldn’t find it.”
Claire almost smiled.
Because she had never kept the original letter in her purse.
She had scanned it and stored the original in a bank box.
Margaret did not know that.
Claire reached into the financial folder and pulled out a copy.
Margaret’s face went white.
Claire unfolded it.
There was one line she had ignored before.
Your ownership interest may materially affect the pending transfer of assets from Cole Holdings to Cole Capital Partners.
Claire looked up.
“What transfer?”
Richard did not answer.
May you like
Noah did.
“The one that moves the good assets out of the company before the bank takes the rest.”
