Chapter 7 - The Night the Music Stopped)
Daniel had imagined his homecoming many times during the flight.
In none of those versions was Emma standing over a sink with burned red hands.
He had spent fourteen hours reading her recovered emails.
He believed he was prepared.
He was not.
When Jennifer dumped grease into the sink, something inside him broke.
The next ninety seconds unfolded too quickly.
The shouted question.
Jennifer throwing the rag.
The pot.
Emma saying his name.
Daniel’s arm swinging.
Water crashing across the stone.
Jennifer stumbling backward and falling into the pool.
Then silence.
The kind of silence that arrived when wealthy people suddenly realized they were witnessing something money could not make elegant.
Jennifer surfaced screaming.
“My arm.”
Daniel stared at her.
A few droplets had reddened her skin, but most of the water had struck the floor.
He still felt sick about what he had almost done.
Emma stepped between him and the stove.
“Daniel.”
Her voice brought him back.
He looked down at the empty pot.
Then placed it on the counter.
“No more.”
Margaret appeared.
“What have you done?”
Daniel removed Emma’s recovered letter.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
Margaret went pale.
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
Daniel looked around at the gathering guests.
Some held phones.
Others whispered.
Jennifer climbed from the pool.
Her emerald gown clung to her.
“You attacked me.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“I lost my temper.”
“You tried to burn me.”
“I threw the pot away from you.”
“You’re insane.”
Daniel nodded once.
“What I did was wrong.”
Jennifer seemed startled.
She had expected denial.
Daniel continued.
“And unlike this family, I am not going to spend five years rewriting reality to make myself look innocent.”
Margaret stiffened.
Emma stared at him.
Daniel turned toward the guests.
“This party is over.”
Jennifer shouted, “You cannot do that.”
Daniel looked at the champagne.
The flowers.
The investors.
The expensive signs announcing Aurelia inside.
“Yes, I can.”
“This is my launch.”
“No.”
Daniel’s voice became colder.
“This is a party financed with money stolen from Cross Hospitality.”
Gasps moved through the doorway.
Margaret stepped forward.
“Daniel, you are exhausted.”
“I audited Northstar.”
The color drained from Jennifer’s face.
Daniel saw it.
So did Emma.
Margaret recovered faster.
“You should not discuss company matters in public.”
“You were happy to spend company money in public.”
Jennifer grabbed Margaret’s arm.
“Mom.”
Daniel looked at his sister.
“Where did Northstar get the capital for Aurelia?”
Jennifer said nothing.
“Answer me.”
Margaret interrupted.
“We should speak privately.”
“No.”
Daniel looked toward the room.
“For five years everything happened privately. Emails. Accounts. signatures. Lies.”
His eyes returned to Emma.
“And she paid for it privately.”
Emma’s throat tightened.
Margaret suddenly laughed.
It was a controlled, elegant sound.
“This is absurd. Emma has been feeding you stories.”
Daniel slowly faced her.
“You think Emma contacted me?”
Margaret’s expression changed.
Daniel raised the envelope.
“You destroyed this.”
Jennifer whispered, “Daniel.”
“But the company mail server scanned it before Lucas deleted the original.”
Margaret stared at the envelope.
Daniel continued.
“I also recovered four hundred and twelve deleted messages Emma sent me.”
Emma covered her mouth.
Four hundred and twelve.
She had never known the number.
Daniel looked at her.
“I read every one.”
Emma’s eyes filled.
Jennifer backed toward the French doors.
Daniel noticed.
“Don’t.”
She stopped.
“I am leaving.”
“No one is preventing you.”
Jennifer looked toward the guests.
Humiliation distorted her face.
“You planned this.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“I arrived fifteen minutes ago.”
Margaret stepped closer to Emma.
“This is what you wanted.”
Emma looked at her.
“No.”
“You wanted to turn my son against his family.”
Emma slowly removed her rubber gloves.
Her hands shook.
“No, Margaret. You did that.”
Several guests lowered their eyes.
Margaret’s composure cracked.
“You ungrateful little nobody.”
Daniel stepped forward.
Emma raised one hand.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
For the first time that night, Emma moved toward Margaret without fear.
“I entered this family loving your son. I protected his company while you used his name to steal from it. I protected his reputation while you destroyed mine.”
Margaret’s jaw tightened.
“You have no proof.”
Emma looked toward the garden.
“Yes, I do.”
Jennifer’s eyes widened.
Emma saw it.
So did Daniel.
“Robert gave me a drive.”
Margaret’s face became perfectly still.
Daniel whispered, “Robert Lane?”
Emma nodded.
“Before he died.”
Margaret looked at Jennifer.
That single glance told Daniel more than any confession.
Emma continued.
“I copied everything.”
Jennifer suddenly ran.
She pushed through the crowd and headed toward the front entrance.
Daniel did not chase her.
Instead he looked at Emma.
“Where is the evidence?”
Emma hesitated.
May you like
Then she said, “Somewhere your mother could never reach.”
At that exact moment, the mansion lights went out.
