Chapter 22 - the man her father trusted
Gideon Price answered Nora’s call on the first ring.
“My dear,” he said warmly. “I heard about the unfortunate board meeting.”
“Unfortunate for whom?”
A short silence followed.
“Malcolm has handled this badly. I warned him that challenging you publicly would divide the family.”
Nora looked at the photograph lying on the desk.
“Did you also warn him about Northstar?”
Gideon stopped breathing for a fraction of a second.
“I have not heard that name in years.”
“You did not ask what it was.”
“I assumed you were referring to your father’s old foundation.”
The registry showed that Northstar had been created privately after Nora’s father became ill. Gideon should not have known about it unless he had helped establish it.
“I found a photograph of you wearing Elias’s watch,” Nora said.
“I owned a similar model.”
“My father wrote your name on the back.”
Gideon’s tone became softer.
“Nora, grief can make ordinary objects feel important. Do not allow Malcolm’s betrayal to convince you that every man in your life has deceived you.”
It was the kind of sentence Gideon had used since she was young—gentle enough to sound protective, precise enough to make her question herself.
This time it failed.
“I will see you at the trustee meeting tomorrow,” Nora said.
“Nora—”
She ended the call.
The first contract from the hidden drawer transferred ownership of three early Vale Meridian patents from Nora’s mother, Katherine, to the corporation.
The second contract promised Katherine twenty percent of all future licensing revenue.
The payments had stopped the year after Katherine died.
Billions of dollars had been distributed since then.
None had gone to Katherine’s estate.
Maya read the documents beside her mother.
“Wouldn’t her estate belong to you and Uncle Elias?”
“Yes.”
“Then the company owes you both.”
“Unless someone persuaded the auditors that the contract never existed.”
Grace checked the signature page.
Gideon had witnessed the agreement.
The doorbell rang at eleven thirty that night.
Owen stood outside, still wearing his office suit. Nora’s son looked exhausted.
“You need to stop investigating Northstar,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because Dad knows you found the ledger.”
Nora stepped aside to let him enter.
May you like
Owen did not move.
“He sent someone to the bank tonight,” he whispered. “They are going back for the cassette.”
