Chapter 8 - Brooke’s Voice on the Recording
Brooke stopped breathing.
Marcus pressed play.
Martin Sterling: “If Vance recovers, he could become a problem.”
Chad: “He won’t be back in business.”
Brooke: “You don’t know Ethan.”
Chad laughed on the recording.
Brooke’s voice came again.
“I already am.”
The room around them was too loud for anyone else to hear.
But Ethan heard every word.
The same week Brooke had visited his hospital room.
She had held his hand.
Told him she was scared.
Then apparently joined a call about keeping him away from Sterling Biotech.
Brooke whispered, “Ethan…”
He raised one hand.
“Don’t.”
“It usually does.”
“My father was worried you would buy the company.”
“He was right.”
“You weren’t supposed to.”
“Interesting defense.”
She stepped closer.
“By using me.”
“I cared about you.”
“Both can be true.”
Her eyes filled.
Brooke whispered, “I didn’t know Chad was bleeding the company.”
Chad snapped, “Stop.”
She turned on him.
“You lied to me.”
“You knew the structure.”
“I knew consulting fees.”
“You signed off.”
Chad laughed.
“So now you’re innocent?”
Ethan watched them collapse toward truth.
Marcus said, “There’s more.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Of course there is.”
Brooke had moved shares into an offshore trust.
Martin had pledged company patents as collateral.
Chad had arranged the lender.
The company was closer to insolvency than public statements admitted.
Ethan felt no satisfaction.
Only clarity.
Entitlement at the top had become theft by another name.
Then Isabella said, “Sir?”
Ethan turned.
“Your wheelchair.”
“What about it?”
“It’s gone.”
Ethan stared.
Someone had moved it.
Marcus went still.
Chad smiled.
“Guess somebody got tired of the performance.”
Ethan looked toward the service corridor.
The chair was not just mobility equipment.
May you like
It contained a locked compartment under the seat.
Inside were the signed control documents.
