Chapter 10 - THE UNCLE AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE
Edward Caldwell had chaired the family company for fourteen years.
Silver-haired.
Perfectly mannered.
Never loud.
Never careless.
He had taught Ethan how to negotiate.
How to recognize weakness.
How to never enter a room without knowing who needed what.
Now Ethan entered the boardroom knowing exactly what Edward needed.
Control.
Edward smiled.
“Sit down.”
Ethan remained standing.
“You tried to delete the footage.”
Edward’s smile faded slightly.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Ethan placed the login record on the table.
Edward glanced at it.
“Credentials can be stolen.”
“So can childhoods.”
Edward’s eyes lifted.
Ethan leaned forward.
“Did you know Rosa was pregnant?”
“No.”
“Did you intercept her calls?”
“No.”
“Did you pay Marcus Vale?”
Edward paused.
Barely.
But Ethan saw it.
“I have paid thousands of consultants.”
“My mother knew.”
For the first time, Edward’s expression truly changed.
Ethan placed a copy of Eleanor’s letter on the table.
Edward read the first sentence.
Then stopped.
“Where did you get this?”
“The piano.”
Edward looked toward him sharply.
That answer frightened him more than Ethan expected.
“There was nothing in that piano.”
“You sound very certain.”
Edward stood.
“Your mother was sick during her final year.”
“Careful.”
“She became suspicious.”
“Careful.”
“She saw conspiracies everywhere.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“And yet here you are trying to erase footage of a woman shoving my daughter.”
Edward’s face hardened.
“You are destroying this company over a maid.”
“No.”
Ethan’s voice remained calm.
“I’m finally realizing how much of my life this company destroyed.”
The boardroom doors opened.
Rosa entered with Samuel.
Edward stared.
“This is a private board meeting.”
Rosa placed the DNA report on the table.
“Not anymore.”
Samuel spoke.
“As of eleven fourteen this morning, Lily Martinez Caldwell has been legally recognized as Ethan Caldwell’s biological daughter.”
No one moved.
Samuel continued.
“Under Eleanor Caldwell’s trust amendment, Edward Caldwell’s temporary voting proxy is terminated immediately.”
Edward’s face lost all color.
Twenty-two percent.
Gone.
Ethan watched his uncle carefully.
“You knew exactly what would happen when Lily became legally recognized.”
Edward turned toward Rosa.
For the first time, the polite mask disappeared.
“You have no idea what you’ve done.”
Rosa did not move.
“I gave my daughter her name.”
Edward laughed bitterly.
“You gave her a target.”
Silence fell.
Then Edward gathered his papers.
At the door, he stopped.
“You think Victoria is your enemy because she shoved the child.”
He looked directly at Ethan.
“Victoria is spoiled.”
“Cruel.”
“Careless.”
“But she is not the person you should be afraid of.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Who is?”
Edward smiled without warmth.
“The person your mother was trying to warn you about.”
Then he left.
And for the first time, Ethan wondered if Edward was not the end of the conspiracy.
May you like
Maybe he was only one piece of it.
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