Chapter 7 - THE BLACK DRIVE
We opened Daniel’s drive that evening.
There were sixteen folders.
Most contained financial reports, contracts, and email archives.
Then we found one labeled R.H.
Richard Hale.
Inside were bank transfers, loan agreements, and internal company documents.
Marcus studied them in silence.
Margaret stood behind him.
I sat in my hospital bed with Grace sleeping against my chest.
Finally, Marcus spoke.
“This is worse than I expected.”
“What did he do?”
“Richard used company assets as collateral for private investments.”
“Is that illegal?”
“Without board authorization?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
He opened another document.
“He also guaranteed twelve million dollars in private debt through a shell company.”
I felt sick.
“Whose shell company?”
Marcus clicked the ownership page.
“Kelsey’s.”
Of course.
Margaret folded her arms.
“Blackridge?”
“No.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Another company.”
He read the name.
“KH Development Partners.”
Kelsey Hale.
Her initials.
Daniel had known.
I looked down at Grace.
“How long was Daniel investigating them?”
“Based on the timestamps, almost a year.”
A video file appeared at the bottom of the folder.
The date was six weeks before Daniel died.
My hands started trembling.
Marcus looked at me.
“We don’t have to watch this tonight.”
“Yes, we do.”
He opened it.
Daniel appeared on the screen.
For one terrible second, I forgot how to breathe.
He was sitting in his office wearing the navy sweater I had bought him for Christmas.
He looked tired.
Then he looked straight into the camera.
“If you are watching this, Richard has probably done exactly what I feared.”
My eyes filled.
Daniel continued.
“Emily, I’m sorry.”
I pressed a hand against my mouth.
“I hoped I could fix this without involving you.”
His recorded image took a breath.
“Your father has been moving money through related companies and hiding losses from the board.”
Marcus paused the video.
“Emily?”
“Keep going.”
Daniel continued.
“I confronted him.”
“He told me the company belonged to the Hale family before I ever arrived.”
“He said I had no right to question him.”
A humorless smile crossed Daniel’s face.
“He forgot something important.”
“Hale-Mercer became what it is because we built it together.”
Then his expression turned serious.
“If Richard tries to take your home, your shares, or your authority after I’m gone, do not give him anything.”
My tears fell silently.
May you like
Daniel leaned closer to the camera.
“Because if he is willing to attack you while you are grieving, he will not stop when he gets the company.”
