Chapter 4 - The Meeting at the Hotel
The next afternoon, Caroline arrived at the luxury hotel carrying a folder and an encrypted drive.
Charlotte waited in a private lounge overlooking the city.
Tyler was not there.
“You said Dad wanted to talk.”
“He is meeting with investors,” Charlotte replied. “His schedule is extremely demanding.”
Caroline remained standing.
“Then I will speak to him later.”
Charlotte gestured toward the chair opposite her.
“Sit down. You look exhausted.”
“I know about the forged signature.”
For the first time, Charlotte’s pleasant expression disappeared.
Caroline placed the acquisition agreement on the table.
“You signed as a witness.”
“I witnessed your father signing company documents.”
“You witnessed my signature.”
Charlotte glanced toward the lounge entrance.
“You should be careful with accusations.”
“I have the original development records. I have access logs showing that Tyler never entered Beacon’s engineering system until last month. I also have messages discussing the removal of my name.”
Charlotte leaned back.
“What do you want?”
“The acquisition canceled. My ownership acknowledged. Every false document withdrawn.”
“And if Tyler refuses?”
“I go to the board, the police, and the investors.”
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed.
“You would destroy your father’s company.”
“No. He is destroying it.”
Charlotte lowered her voice.
“Tyler gave you everything.”
“He gave me a job in a company my grandfather built.”
“He gave you his name.”
Caroline gathered the documents.
“I already had his name. I am trying to stop him from ruining it.”
As she turned to leave, Charlotte spoke again.
“Be careful driving. The roads are terrible.”
The comment sounded ordinary.
Yet something in Charlotte’s tone made Caroline stop.
She looked back.
Charlotte had already reached for her phone.
Caroline left the hotel through the underground garage. She placed the encrypted drive inside her coat instead of her bag.
When she started her car, a warning light briefly flashed on the dashboard and disappeared.
Caroline hesitated.
The vehicle had been serviced two days earlier through a company garage.
She called the garage manager, but there was no answer.
She considered returning to the hotel. Then she saw Charlotte standing near the elevator, watching through the glass doors.
Caroline drove away.
May you like
Less than twenty minutes later, while descending a rain-covered street, she pressed the brake pedal.
Nothing happened.
