Chapter 4 - THE ONLY LEVER THAT MATTERED
Daniel moved in front of Mia.
“Don’t look at my daughter.”
Eric shrugged.
“I’m just being practical.”
Rachel pulled Mia closer.
Vanessa turned toward Eric.
“What are you doing?”
He looked at her like she was stupid.
“What does it look like?”
“This wasn’t the plan.”
“The plan died when your husband walked in.”
Thomas crossed his arms.
“Still her husband.”
“Shut up.”
Vanessa stepped toward Eric.
“You told me Daniel would sign voluntarily.”
“He was supposed to.”
“You said we’d make him think the restructuring was for tax protection.”
“That was before his kid found the documents.”
Mia looked up.
“I found them because you left your laptop open.”
Eric stared at her.
Daniel glanced down.
“What laptop?”
“The silver one.”
Eric’s expression shifted.
Just slightly.
Mia noticed.
“So that’s why you came into Dad’s office,” she said.
Eric smiled without warmth.
“You’re smarter than you look.”
Daniel’s anger sharpened.
“Don’t talk to her.”
Eric spread his hands.
“Then sign.”
Daniel glanced at the papers.
“What exactly is this?”
“A transfer of controlling voting shares.”
“You’d own my company.”
“We’d own it.”
Daniel laughed.
“There is no ‘we.’ Vanessa is married to someone else. Your plan is finished.”
Vanessa snapped, “Stop talking about me like I’m not here.”
Thomas looked at her.
“You always hated that.”
She shot him a vicious glance.
Daniel looked at Eric.
“Unlock the doors.”
“No.”
“You can’t keep eighty people locked inside a chapel.”
“I only need ten minutes.”
“For what?”
Eric reached into his pocket again.
This time he pulled out Daniel’s phone.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“When did you take that?”
“At the altar.”
“You picked my pocket?”
“You were distracted.”
Eric unlocked it.
Daniel’s face changed.
“How do you know my code?”
Eric smirked.
“You’ve used Mia’s birthday for five years.”
Mia whispered, “Dad…”
Daniel didn’t look away from his brother.
Eric opened an email.
“Your board meeting is in forty-three minutes.”
Daniel understood instantly.
Eric needed documents sent before the board convened.
“You’re trying to force an emergency transfer.”
“Correct.”
“You’d never get it through.”
“With your signature and Vanessa’s authority as your new wife, I had a path.”
“But she’s not becoming my wife.”
Eric’s jaw flexed.
Thomas lifted one hand.
“Which is why your plan is dead.”
Eric looked at him.
“No. It’s messier.”
Vanessa stared.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we adjust.”
“There is no adjustment!”
“There always is.”
Daniel studied his brother.
Something was wrong.
Eric wasn’t panicking.
He had backup plans.
He always had backup plans.
Daniel looked around the chapel.
Guests were whispering.
Some tried their phones.
“No signal,” someone said.
Another guest raised hers.
“Mine either.”
Noah, the videographer, frowned at his camera equipment.
“Wi-Fi’s down too.”
Eric smiled.
Daniel felt his stomach drop.
“You jammed the phones?”
“Temporarily.”
Rachel stared at him.
“You planned to trap everyone?”
Eric rolled his eyes.
“No one is trapped. The doors open when Daniel signs.”
Mia suddenly pulled away from Rachel.
“I’m not scared of you.”
Daniel grabbed her shoulder.
“Mia.”
But she looked straight at Eric.
“You’re a liar.”
Eric smiled.
“So was your mother.”
Daniel’s entire body stiffened.
“Don’t.”
Mia’s face changed.
Her mother, Claire, had died four years earlier.
Car accident.
Rainy highway.
Instant death.
At least, that was what Daniel had been told.
Eric looked at his brother.
“You really still believe Claire’s accident was just bad luck?”
Daniel stopped breathing.
“Eric.”
Vanessa whispered, “What are you doing?”
Eric’s smile returned.
“I’m giving him a reason to listen.”
Daniel’s voice dropped to almost nothing.
“What do you know about Claire’s accident?”
Eric glanced toward the papers.
“Sign the first page.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Tell me what happened to my wife.”
May you like
Eric tapped the signature line.
“And I’ll tell you why she died.”
