Chapter 6 - HER FATHER’S SIGNATURE
Robert Caldwell asked everyone except Mary, Evelyn, Daniel, and Arthur to leave the room.
Ethan’s lawyer objected.
Arthur ordered security to escort them out anyway.
When the door closed, Robert looked ten years older.
“Ethan came to me after your panic attack in Boston,” he said.
That attack had happened after three straight days of negotiations and four hours of sleep. Ethan had been the only person with her.
“He said you’d nearly collapsed,” Robert continued. “He said you were hiding how bad the stress had become.”
Mary stared at him. “And you believed him.”
“I was scared.”
“So you signed away my company?”
“No.” Robert slammed his palm against the table. “I would never do that.”
Daniel kept his voice steady. “What exactly did you sign?”
Robert pulled out his phone and opened an old email.
“This gives Ethan temporary voting authority over Robert’s personal shares if Robert is medically incapacitated.”
Not control, but enough to swing a close board vote.
“There’s a second page.”
“I never saw that.”
The second page extended authority to any “spousal successor designated by Mary Caldwell” in the event Mary was found unavailable.
“I never designated Ethan.”
“No,” Daniel said. “But someone attached a designation.”
“I’m calling federal counsel.”
“First, the locker.”
Arthur frowned. “What locker?”
Mary placed Vanessa’s brass key on the table.
Robert whispered, “There are private storage boxes in the old Caldwell building.”
“The building Ethan has been renovating?”
Evelyn grabbed her wrist. “You’re not going there alone.”
“I’m not.”
Mary looked at the security chief outside the glass wall.
“Wake up the whole security team.”
A new email had arrived from Ethan’s account.
Subject: IF MARY FINDS THE DRIVE.
May you like
The message contained only six words.
BURN THE FILES. START WITH ROBERT.
