Chapter 6 - THE BANQUET AGREEMENT
By morning, Emily had hidden the original file inside the abandoned greenhouse at the edge of the estate.
She kept only copies beneath the lining of her handbag.
Mrs. Greene wanted to contact the police.
Emily refused.
“They control the security system, the estate company, and half the people attending tonight. If we accuse them without understanding the whole plan, the evidence will disappear.”
“What about Mr. Daniel?”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“Call him again.”
“I have.”
Daniel’s phone remained unreachable.
Emily called his assistant in London.
The assistant claimed Daniel was still in Switzerland.
When Emily mentioned the company aircraft in New York, the assistant ended the call.
At ten that morning, Richard summoned Emily to the library.
Ashley sat beside him wearing a pale gold dress and the silver locket.
Emily kept her eyes away from it.
On the desk lay a folder marked BLACKWOOD FOUNDATION RESTRUCTURING.
Richard gestured toward the chair.
“We need your signature before this evening.”
Emily sat slowly.
“What am I signing?”
“A routine transfer of inactive family assets.”
“Which assets?”
“Minor legacy holdings.”
“Then why do you need my signature?”
Richard’s gaze sharpened.
“Because Daniel placed several marital assets under joint authority.”
Emily opened the folder.
The legal language was dense, but the numbers were not minor.
The agreement transferred control of multiple trusts, foreign accounts, and twenty-three percent of voting shares in Blackwood Holdings.
“This is not routine.”
“You misunderstand the structure.”
“I understand that you want me to surrender assets I didn’t know I owned.”
Ashley leaned forward.
“You don’t own them. Daniel does.”
“My name appears on every page.”
“Because he used you.”
Richard silenced Ashley with a glance.
Emily turned to him.
“How long have you known my mother was Laura Blackwood?”
For the first time, Richard lost control of his expression.
Only for a second.
But Emily saw it.
Ashley looked between them.
“What is she talking about?”
Richard closed the folder.
“Your father has been telling stories.”
“I found the archive.”
Ashley stood so quickly that her chair struck the floor.
Richard remained seated.
“What did you take?”
“Enough.”
“Where is it?”
“Somewhere your people won’t find.”
Richard’s voice dropped.
“You have no idea what those documents mean.”
“They mean my mother belonged to this family.”
“They mean she tried to destroy it.”
“She warned me about you.”
Richard’s face hardened.
“Your mother was unstable.”
Emily laughed once, without humor.
“That is always the story powerful men tell after a woman can no longer defend herself.”
Ashley looked at Richard.
“You said her mother was nobody.”
Richard ignored her.
“Sign the agreement, Emily.”
“No.”
“Then you will lose more than money.”
“What are you threatening?”
“I am giving you an opportunity to leave with dignity.”
Ashley reached for the silver locket.
Emily noticed the movement.
“Where did you get that?”
Ashley hesitated.
Richard answered for her.
“It belonged to your mother.”
The room seemed to narrow.
“Why does Ashley have it?”
“Because Laura gave it to my father before she disappeared.”
“My mother didn’t disappear. She died.”
Richard said nothing.
Emily stared at him.
“You know something about the accident.”
“Everyone knows your mother drove too fast in heavy rain.”
“The recording says otherwise.”
Richard stood.
“What recording?”
Emily realized her mistake.
Ashley’s eyes widened.
Richard came around the desk.
“What did you hear?”
Emily stepped backward.
“Enough to know my father was there.”
Richard grabbed her arm.
“Where is the recorder?”
The door opened.
Martin Vale entered with two security officers.
Richard released Emily immediately.
Martin looked from Emily to the documents.
“Sir, there is a problem at the west gate.”
“What problem?”
“A man attempted to enter using Daniel’s executive code.”
Emily’s heart jumped.
“Daniel?”
Martin shook his head.
“The code was valid, but the man was not Mr. Daniel.”
Richard’s face darkened.
“Detain him.”
“He escaped.”
“Who was he?”
Martin placed a photograph on the desk.
It showed a middle-aged man wearing a cap, his face turned partly toward the camera.
Emily recognized him as the man who had watched her father’s repair shop.
Martin pointed to the enlarged image.
“Facial analysis identified him as Nathan Cole.”
Richard went still.
Ashley frowned.
“Who is Nathan Cole?”
No one answered.
Emily looked at the photograph again.
May you like
Then she saw the object around the man’s neck.
A silver locket identical to Ashley’s.
