Chapter 2 - THE VOTE
Emma spent the night at St. Matthew's Children's Hospital.
No lung damage.
No brain injury.
Lucky.
Christopher hated the word.
Attorney Rachel Kim opened the Pierce Family Trust beside Emma's bed.
"Emma's thirty-four percent is protected until she's twenty-five."
"I know."
"If she dies before majority, the block returns to the senior-family trust."
"Controlled by my mother."
The board vote was in two days.
Eleanor wanted Pierce Holdings to merge with Hale Meridian Fund.
Christopher opposed it.
With Emma's shares, he could stop the deal.
Without Emma, he could not.
Detective Maya Brooks played the pool recording again.
Juliette: Once Emma is gone, Christopher's voting block collapses.
Eleanor: Not gone. Unavailable.
"What does unavailable mean?"
Rachel slid over a court petition filed that morning.
It accused Christopher of negligent supervision, emotional instability, and failure to provide safe swimming conditions.
Proposed temporary guardian for Emma:
Juliette Moreau.
"They push her into a pool, then blame me for the pool."
"If the court removes you temporarily," Rachel said, "Juliette would vote Emma's shares."
Either Emma died, or Christopher lost control.
The plan worked both ways.
Then Emma woke.
"Daddy?"
"I'm here."
She lifted her wrist.
"Grandma told Juliette not to leave bruises."
Christopher went still.
Beneath the hospital band were four faint purple finger marks.
A forensic nurse photographed them.
Emma whispered, "Juliette held me here."
"Then what happened?"
"She said I had to be brave."
"Then she pushed."
Then Emma added, "Mr. Daniel saw Grandma turn off the alarm."
The lifeguard.
The man Juliette had sent home.
No answer.
Police found Daniel Price's car at a gas station three miles away.
Wallet inside.
Phone smashed.
Driver gone.
Then parking-lot video showed Daniel getting into a black Pierce Holdings sedan.
May you like
The car had been dispatched by Eleanor's office.
The only witness who could confirm Emma's story had just disappeared.
