Chapter 6 - The Night Celeste Died
Khloe had been twenty-five when her mother died.
The official story had always been simple.
Celeste Laurent suffered a sudden cardiac event in her Manhattan townhouse.
Paramedics arrived too late.
Khloe had been traveling in Europe.
By the time she returned, every decision had already been made.
The funeral.
The estate.
The trust.
Everything.
Now Vincent was telling her that story had never been true.
“She collapsed at Thorne Tower,” Vincent said.
Khloe stared at him.
“Why was I told she died at home?”
“Because Damian demanded discretion.”
“And you agreed?”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
Khloe shook her head.
“Everyone keeps using that word.”
Vincent’s voice softened.
“Your mother went to confront Damian.”
“About what?”
“The company.”
Marcus entered the room quietly.
Khloe almost ordered him out.
Then she changed her mind.
He needed to hear this too.
Vincent continued.
“Celeste had discovered accounting irregularities.”
Marcus’s face sharpened.
“What irregularities?”
“Offshore entities.”
“Hidden debt.”
“Payments routed through shell corporations.”
Marcus looked confused.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I’ve seen our audited statements.”
Vincent gave him a bitter look.
“Then perhaps you should ask who selected your auditors.”
Marcus said nothing.
Khloe’s mother had threatened to use her voting block to remove Damian as chairman.
The confrontation became heated.
Vincent had been called by Celeste because she wanted a witness.
During the argument, Celeste suddenly collapsed.
An ambulance was called.
But Damian refused to allow paramedics through the main lobby because reporters were outside after a corporate event.
They were rerouted through a service entrance.
Seven minutes were lost.
Celeste died before reaching the hospital.
Khloe’s eyes filled with tears.
“You let him hide that?”
Vincent looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Damian threatened to expose financial information that could have destroyed the Laurent medical group.”
“What information?”
Vincent looked away.
Khloe’s voice rose.
“What information?”
“Your mother had used hospital pension assets as collateral during the rescue of Thorne Global.”
Khloe stared at him.
“That was illegal.”
“Yes.”
Marcus slowly sat down.
Vincent continued.
“She eventually restored every dollar.”
“But if it became public, thousands of employees could have lost confidence in the hospital system.”
“So you protected Damian.”
“I protected everyone.”
Khloe wiped one tear from her cheek.
“No.”
“You protected institutions.”
“You protected reputations.”
“You protected men.”
“Everyone except me.”
Vincent lowered his head.
Marcus looked devastated.
Khloe turned toward him.
“You knew none of this?”
“No.”
She believed him again.
That somehow made everything worse.
Marcus had betrayed her for his own reasons.
Damian had manipulated him for larger ones.
Vincent had hidden history.
And her mother had left behind a financial empire wrapped in secrets.
Robert entered the room carrying Marcus’s phone.
“We recovered deleted messages.”
Marcus stood.
“What messages?”
“Your account synchronized with the executive server.”
Robert glanced at Khloe.
“There’s a conversation between Mr. Thorne and Isabella from three weeks ago.”
Khloe remembered Isabella saying Marcus suddenly changed then.
“Read it.”
Robert opened the file.
Marcus’s message appeared first.
It ends now.
Isabella replied.
You don’t get to decide that.
Marcus wrote.
I found out what my father is doing.
Stay away from Khloe.
Khloe looked at Marcus.
“What did you discover?”
Marcus’s face tightened.
He stared at the recovered messages.
Then he said something no one expected.
May you like
“My father wasn’t trying to take your shares.”
“He was trying to make sure you never survived long enough to vote them.”
