Chapter 5 - The Signature From the Grave
Nathan ordered the boardroom doors locked.
Nobody was permitted to leave.
Margaret objected immediately.
“You have no authority to detain this board.”
Nathan looked at security.
“Anyone who wishes to leave may leave.”
He turned toward the directors.
“But every person who leaves before we identify who forged my dead mother’s signature will be listed in the criminal referral I submit this afternoon.”
Nobody moved.
Victoria stared at the trust document.
Nathan watched her carefully.
She looked genuinely confused.
That disturbed him.
Margaret leaned toward her daughter.
They whispered.
Nathan could not hear the words.
Elias enlarged the forged acknowledgment.
“It was notarized in Delaware.”
“By whom?”
“A notary named Helen Mercer.”
Nathan looked at Margaret.
Margaret frowned.
“I don’t know that name.”
Nathan believed her.
He hated that he believed her.
Elias searched the notary registry.
Helen Mercer had died eighteen months earlier.
Nathan laughed without humor.
“Another dead witness.”
Elias continued.
“Her commission was legitimate.”
“Where did she work?”
Elias stopped.
“Cole Meridian Legal.”
Nathan felt his pulse rise.
Douglas Kent stared.
“That department reported to Charles.”
Nathan turned.
“My father had been dead six months when this was filed.”
Douglas looked uncomfortable.
“The structure remained.”
Nathan understood.
Someone had inherited Charles’s secret machinery.
Someone inside Cole Meridian had continued operating it.
Nathan looked at the board.
“Who controlled my father’s private legal unit after his death?”
Silence.
Nathan slammed his palm onto the table.
“Who?”
An elderly director finally spoke.
“Martin Shaw.”
Nathan froze.
Martin Shaw had been his father’s oldest friend.
He had been Nathan’s godfather.
He had taught Nathan how to sail.
He had attended Evelyn’s funeral.
He had stood beside Nathan at Charles’s grave.
Martin had retired two years earlier.
Nathan looked at Elias.
“Where is he?”
Elias began searching.
Douglas spoke.
“He lives in Zurich.”
Nathan’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He opened the message.
A photograph appeared.
Martin Shaw sat inside a café.
Today’s newspaper rested beside him.
Another message followed.
ASK HIM WHO ORDERED EVELYN’S CAR FIXED.
Nathan stared.
Someone was feeding him clues.
Grace had received photographs of him.
Benjamin had appeared at the exact moment the conspiracy began collapsing.
Now an unknown sender was leading him toward Martin.
It felt too convenient.
Nathan typed.
WHO ARE YOU?
No reply.
He showed Elias.
Elias frowned.
“It could be bait.”
“It is bait.”
Nathan slipped the phone away.
“The question is what they want me to catch.”
Margaret stood.
“You are turning corporate governance into theater.”
Nathan looked at her.
“You poisoned Benjamin Cross.”
Victoria inhaled.
Margaret’s face did not move.
“That accusation is defamatory.”
“I saw you leaving the ICU.”
“You saw a woman in scrubs.”
“I saw you.”
“Then prove it.”
Nathan stepped closer.
Margaret smiled.
“That is your problem, Nathan.”
“You keep seeing things.”
“You keep remembering things.”
“But somehow, when evidence is required, it disappears.”
Nathan’s voice dropped.
“Just like Grace disappeared.”
Margaret looked toward the cameras.
“Grace Bennett is mentally ill.”
Nathan’s control almost broke.
Margaret continued.
“She kidnapped a child.”
“She is attempting to blackmail you.”
“She has fabricated a romantic history.”
Nathan pulled the photograph of himself and Grace from his jacket.
He tossed it onto the table.
Margaret glanced at it.
“You dated.”
“That proves nothing.”
Nathan leaned forward.
“It proves you’re getting nervous.”
Margaret smiled.
“No.”
She looked directly into the live broadcast camera.
“I’m worried about you.”
Nathan understood what she was doing.
Building the public case that he was unstable.
Preparing shareholders for his removal.
Victoria stood beside her mother.
“Nathan, please.”
He looked at her.
She had tears in her eyes now.
Professional tears.
Camera tears.
“We were supposed to get married.”
Nathan laughed.
“You attacked my daughter.”
“She isn’t your—”
Victoria stopped herself.
Everyone heard it.
Nathan slowly approached her.
“She isn’t my what?”
Victoria’s lips tightened.
Margaret grabbed her arm.
“Enough.”
Nathan smiled.
“That’s what I thought.”
A director cleared his throat.
“We still have the original agenda.”
Nathan turned.
The director looked uncomfortable.
“Temporary removal.”
Nathan nodded.
“Call the vote.”
Douglas whispered.
“Nathan.”
“Call it.”
The secretary distributed ballots electronically.
Nathan sat.
He watched directors vote.
Twenty-three screens.
Green.
Red.
Abstain.
The result appeared.
14–9.
Nathan Cole was temporarily suspended as CEO.
Victoria exhaled.
Margaret leaned back.
Nathan smiled.
Douglas looked at him.
“You expected this.”
Nathan stood.
“I needed to know who belonged to them.”
Several directors froze.
Nathan turned toward Elias.
“Record the fourteen.”
Elias nodded.
Margaret’s face hardened.
Nathan removed his access badge.
He placed it on the table.
“Congratulations.”
Victoria frowned.
“On what?”
“You finally have the company.”
He looked at Margaret.
“For now.”
Nathan left.
Reporters surrounded him outside.
He said nothing.
His phone buzzed.
Grace.
He answered immediately.
“What happened?”
Her voice shook.
“Someone is outside.”
Nathan stopped walking.
“Where?”
“The house.”
His blood froze.
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
“Grace, get Lily into the safe room.”
“What safe room?”
Nathan closed his eyes.
He had forgotten to tell her.
“Library.”
“Third shelf from the fireplace.”
“Pull the red book.”
Grace started moving.
Nathan ran toward his car.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
Her breathing was fast.
“Nathan, there’s someone at the back door.”
“Lock yourself in.”
“I am.”
Nathan heard Lily crying.
Then glass shattered.
Grace screamed.
The line went dead.
Nathan’s driver accelerated before Nathan even closed the door.
“Bedford.”
“As fast as possible.”
Nathan called Elias.
“No answer.”
He called the private guards stationed two miles from the property.
No answer.
Nathan felt terror rising.
He called Grace again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Lily answered.
Nathan’s heart stopped.
“Lily?”
Her breathing was tiny and frightened.
“Daddy?”
“Yes.”
“I’m hiding.”
“Where’s Mommy?”
Silence.
“Lily.”
“The man took her.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you see him?”
“No.”
“Stay hidden.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“Are you coming?”
“Yes.”
“You promised.”
Nathan almost broke.
“I remember.”
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“The man said Grandma sent him.”
Nathan frowned.
“What grandma?”
Lily whispered.
“Your grandma.”
The call ended.
Nathan stared at the phone.
His grandmother had been dead for twenty-six years.
Unless Lily meant something else.
Unless someone had taught her to call another woman Grandma.
Nathan reached the estate eighteen minutes later.
The front door hung open.
Glass covered the hallway.
The library was empty.
The safe room door stood open.
Lily was gone.
Nathan’s knees nearly gave out.
Then he heard a sound.
A child crying.
He followed it toward the wine cellar.
Lily sat behind a storage rack.
Nathan ran to her.
She threw herself into his arms.
“Daddy!”
Nathan held her so tightly she squeaked.
He loosened his grip instantly.
“Where’s Mommy?”
Lily pointed toward the floor.
A trail of blood led toward the garage.
Nathan’s stomach turned.
He carried Lily outside.
The garage was empty.
Grace was gone.
On the wall, someone had written six words using black paint.
BRING THE CHILD TO GET GRACE BACK.
Nathan stared.
Lily buried her face against him.
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Nathan answered.
A distorted voice spoke.
“Forty-eight hours.”
Nathan said nothing.
The voice continued.
“Give us Lily.”
“You get Grace.”
Nathan’s face became stone.
“If you hurt her—”
“You’ve already seen what we do to women who interfere with families.”
Nathan thought of his mother.
The line went silent.
Then the voice added.
“Ask Martin Shaw how Evelyn screamed.”
The call ended.
Nathan looked at Lily.
Whoever wanted her was deliberately pushing him toward Martin Shaw.
That meant one thing.
Nathan needed to find Martin.
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And he needed to do it before the people holding Grace discovered he had no intention of trading his daughter.
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