Chapter 5 - MY FATHER’S OFFER
Richard changed his tone immediately.
The anger disappeared.
The fatherly voice returned.
It was the voice he used when he wanted people to forget what he had done five minutes earlier.
“You’ve just had a baby.”
“Yes.”
“You’re grieving.”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t be dealing with lawyers and corporate nonsense right now.”
I looked at Margaret.
She silently shook her head.
Richard continued.
“Drop the assault accusation.”
“No.”
“Emily.”
“No.”
“I’m trying to help you.”
“You dragged me by my hair.”
He exhaled.
“That got out of control.”
“You shoved an eight-month-pregnant woman onto a porch.”
“I didn’t know your water would break.”
The words were so absurd that Margaret closed her eyes.
I asked, “And the forged deed?”
Another pause.
“That was paperwork Kelsey arranged.”
Margaret immediately started writing.
Richard had just blamed his wife.
Interesting.
“And the bank transfer?”
“I thought Daniel left debts.”
“You said that yesterday.”
“He did.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Richard fell silent.
I continued.
“Margaret has the estate records.”
“That woman has always hated me.”
“No.”
I looked down at Daniel’s declaration.
“She just knows you.”
His patience cracked.
“Do you have any idea what happens if you interfere with the company right now?”
There it was.
Not the house.
Not my wellbeing.
The company.
“What happens?”
“Thousands of employees depend on me.”
“Then you should have thought about them before forging my signature.”
His voice dropped.
“You don’t understand Hale-Mercer Logistics.”
“Maybe I understand enough.”
“You’ve never run it.”
“Neither has Kelsey.”
Silence again.
Margaret almost smiled.
Richard said, “Leave my wife out of this.”
“She owns Blackridge Residential Holdings.”
His breathing changed.
I knew I had surprised him.
“How do you know that?”
“Because you’re not the only person who can look up records.”
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he tried one final tactic.
“Drop everything, and I’ll put the house back in your name.”
I almost laughed.
“It never left my name.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No.”
I looked at Grace through the nursery camera on the hospital tablet beside me.
“I know exactly what you mean.”
I lowered my voice.
“You want me scared enough to give you permission.”
“Emily.”
“You’re not getting it.”
The call ended.
Margaret stared at the phone.
“That was useful.”
“He admitted Kelsey handled the deed.”
“And he confirmed his primary concern is the company.”
She opened her laptop.
Then her expression changed.
“What?”
Margaret turned the screen toward me.
An emergency meeting of the Hale-Mercer Logistics board had been scheduled for Friday morning.
Agenda item one:
May you like
Appointment of permanent executive chairman.
The proposed nominee was Richard Hale.
