Chapter 8 - Seven Years of Payments
Meridian was not a consulting company.
It managed private settlements.
Confidential agreements.
Monthly support payments.
Rachel obtained only partial records because several files were sealed.
One recipient appeared repeatedly.
Emily Ross.
Jennifer had never heard the name.
Robert had.
When Jennifer asked him, the older man went silent.
“Who is she?”
Robert rubbed a hand across his face.
“She worked for Carter Development.”
“When?”
“Eight years ago.”
“What happened?”
“She left.”
Jennifer waited.
“That’s not an answer.”
Robert finally looked at her.
“Daniel was engaged before you.”
Jennifer’s stomach dropped.
She knew about a college relationship with Chloe.
She had never heard of an engagement.
“To Emily?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Robert’s voice became strained.
“They broke up suddenly.”
“Why?”
“Daniel said she cheated.”
Jennifer almost laughed.
Of course he had.
“And Meridian?”
“I didn’t know about that.”
Rachel requested court permission to unseal the settlement.
Daniel’s lawyers objected aggressively.
The judge granted limited review.
The document arrived under protective order.
Jennifer read it in Rachel’s office.
Emily Ross had received an initial settlement of $150,000.
Then monthly payments of $8,000.
In exchange, she had agreed not to discuss an incident involving Daniel Carter.
The incident itself was described only as a “private domestic dispute.”
Jennifer looked at Rachel.
“What did he do?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“There has to be more.”
“There usually is.”
One attachment contained a reference to a police report that had never resulted in charges.
Marcus located the archived case number.
The report was incomplete.
But one sentence remained visible.
The complainant alleged that Daniel had destroyed property, blocked her exit, and threatened financial retaliation after she discovered irregularities in accounts maintained by Westbridge Advisory.
Jennifer felt a chill.
Emily had found Westbridge seven years ago.
That meant Daniel’s financial scheme predated Chloe.
Predated Jennifer.
Perhaps even predated his job at his father’s company.
The next morning, Jennifer received an email from an unfamiliar address.
The subject line contained only three words.
YOU FOUND MERIDIAN.
The message was from Emily Ross.
I heard about the baptism party.
I heard you filed for divorce.
If you are seeing Westbridge records, Daniel is going to become desperate.
Do not meet him alone.
Do not believe Patricia.
And whatever you do, do not let them convince you that Westbridge was Daniel’s idea.
Jennifer read the final sentence three times.
Then she called Rachel.
An hour later, they arranged a video call with Emily.
She appeared on screen from another state.
Her hair was shorter than in old company photographs.
Her voice was calm.
“I wondered how long it would take before someone else found it.”
Jennifer leaned closer.
“You said Westbridge wasn’t Daniel’s idea.”
Emily nodded.
“It wasn’t.”
“Whose was it?”
May you like
Emily looked directly into the camera.
“Patricia Carter created the first version of it.”
