Chapter 4 - Grant Stops Believing)
Grant returned home angry.
Not at Claire.
Not yet.
He was angry because the world he understood had become suddenly uncertain.
Julian Cross had been his friend for twenty-six years.
They had survived college debts, Grant's father's death, Elena's diagnosis, hostile acquisitions, and the brutal first year after Elena died.
Julian had carried Noah out of the church after Elena's funeral when the boy refused to walk.
Grant did not want to believe Megan.
But he also knew Megan had never lied to him.
That contradiction followed him through the front door.
Claire kissed him.
"You're home early."
"Where's Noah?"
"Doing homework."
"Megan?"
"Upstairs."
Grant studied his wife.
"Did Julian come here this week?"
Claire did not flinch.
"Julian?"
"Yes."
"No."
"At night?"
Claire laughed.
"Why would Julian come here at night?"
Grant said nothing.
Claire's expression changed.
"Megan said something."
It was not a question.
Grant went upstairs.
Megan was waiting in Noah's playroom.
She held the phone containing the original corridor video.
Grant watched it once.
Then again.
The image of Julian entering his private office after midnight made his stomach turn.
The audio was worse.
We only have until the shareholder vote.
Stop losing control of the boy.
Grant looked at Megan.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I tried."
"When?"
"Six weeks ago."
Grant remembered her standing at his office door while Houston called.
His guilt arrived quietly.
Then hard.
"What else?"
Megan gave him Noah's torn document.
Grant recognized the reference number.
His face went pale.
"Where did you get this?"
"Noah found it."
Grant went directly to Elena's study.
The missing files told him the rest.
He called Margaret Ellison.
Still no answer.
Then he called Julian.
His friend picked up on the second ring.
"Grant."
"Where are you?"
"Office."
"Were you at my house Tuesday night?"
Silence.
Then Julian said, "Yes."
Grant gripped the phone.
"Why?"
"Claire called me."
"About what?"
"You."
"Try again."
Julian sighed.
"Your acquisition financing."
"Why would that require my home office at midnight?"
"Because you weren't there."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Claire asked me not to."
Grant closed his eyes.
"Why?"
Another pause.
"Come to the office. We should discuss this in person."
"Discuss what?"
"The company."
Grant remembered Claire's words to Megan.
Grant is about to discover that his company is worth far less than he believes.
"What happened?"
Julian answered quietly.
"We have a liquidity problem."
"How bad?"
"Bad enough that if the next vote fails, several lenders can accelerate."
Grant felt the floor shift beneath him.
"You said the restructuring was stable."
"It was."
"What changed?"
"Come in."
Grant drove to headquarters.
He took Megan's phone with him.
He told Claire only that Noah was not to leave the house.
Julian was waiting in the executive conference room.
He looked exhausted.
A stack of financial reports covered the table.
Grant remained standing.
"Explain."
Julian did.
Three subsidiaries had hidden losses.
Two major receivables had been overstated.
A lender had discovered discrepancies.
The board did not know the full extent.
Grant stared at the pages.
"Who approved these numbers?"
Julian hesitated.
"Your finance office."
"Who signed the certifications?"
"You did."
Grant looked down.
The signatures resembled his.
Just like the trust transfer.
"Those aren't mine."
Julian's eyes lifted.
"Grant."
"Don't."
"Some were electronically authorized from your account."
"I didn't authorize them."
"Then we have a bigger problem."
Grant pulled out Megan's phone.
"Yes."
He played the corridor video.
Julian watched himself entering Grant's office.
He did not deny it.
Instead he leaned back.
"Claire is afraid."
"Of what?"
"You."
Grant laughed without humor.
"That is the wrong answer."
"She thinks if the company collapses, Noah's trust becomes the only protected asset left in the family."
"And?"
"She wanted information."
"Why were Elena's trust files in your case?"
Julian's expression tightened.
"They weren't."
"Megan saw documents."
"Megan sees what she wants to see."
Grant stepped forward.
"Be careful."
Julian stood.
"You don't know her as well as you think."
"I know she didn't enter my home through a service door at midnight."
Julian's jaw flexed.
"Claire asked me to."
"Are you sleeping with my wife?"
Julian stared at him.
"No."
Grant believed him.
That did not make the situation better.
"Then what are you doing?"
Julian looked toward the windows.
"Trying to keep Vance Group alive."
"By stealing from my son?"
"I haven't stolen anything."
"Did you create a transfer document?"
Julian said nothing.
Grant's voice hardened.
"Did you?"
"There are contingency drafts."
"For Noah's shares?"
"Protected capital could stabilize the company."
"Those shares belong to him."
"The company will belong to him one day too."
"That is not your decision."
"No. It's yours."
Grant stepped back.
Suddenly he understood.
"You wanted me to sign it."
"I wanted you to consider it."
"And if I didn't?"
Julian's silence answered.
Grant collected the financial papers.
"You're suspended."
Julian laughed once.
"You can't suspend me."
"I just did."
"The board appointed me chief legal officer."
"I own forty-two percent of the voting company."
"And after Elena's trust?"
Grant stopped.
Julian continued.
"When Noah's trust votes against you, you don't."
Grant turned slowly.
"How would you know how Noah's trustees intend to vote?"
Julian realized too late that he had said too much.
Grant stared at his oldest friend.
"You've contacted them."
Julian's face became unreadable.
Grant left without another word.
In the elevator, he called the first trustee.
No answer.
The second answered but sounded frightened.
"I can't discuss this, Grant."
"I'm Noah's father."
"I know."
"Has Julian contacted you?"
Silence.
"Has Claire?"
The trustee whispered, "Call Margaret."
"I've been trying."
Another pause.
Then the trustee said, "Grant, Margaret didn't miss your calls."
"What does that mean?"
"She disappeared yesterday."
Grant felt his stomach drop.
"What?"
"Her assistant called me. Margaret left to meet Julian and never came back."
The elevator doors opened.
Grant did not move.
His phone rang.
Claire.
He answered.
"Grant, you need to come home."
"What happened?"
Her voice shook.
"It's Noah."
Grant's blood went cold.
"What about him?"
"He found something in your office."
"What?"
"I don't know."
Then Grant heard Noah crying in the background.
Claire shouted at someone.
The call disconnected.
May you like
Grant ran for his car.
And by the time he reached the mansion, Claire's handbag was already swinging toward Noah's face.
