Chapter 6 - The Other Woman
Lauren stared at Sierra's name until the screen went dark.
Then she forwarded the messages to Maya.
By morning, a short meeting had been arranged in a public conference room near the hospital. Maya attended. Lauren didn't bring the twins or tell Sierra where they would stay.
Sierra arrived in the camel coat from the hotel photograph.
Up close, she looked younger than Lauren expected and considerably less certain of herself.
There was no necklace around her throat.
“I didn't know he would leave you outside,” she said.
“But you knew we existed.”
Sierra looked at the table.
“Yes.”
“Then let's skip the part where you explain you're a good person. What do you want?”
Maya shifted slightly beside her but didn't interrupt.
“He wants me to sign a backdated contract,” Sierra said. “For Northlight.”
Lauren felt the room tighten.
“What is Northlight?”
“A consulting company. He put me down as its manager. I signed things. I thought some of it was legitimate.”
“Some?” Maya asked.
Sierra's mouth trembled.
“I didn't ask enough questions.”
Lauren almost laughed. There they were, two women Cole had taught to live inside that sentence.
“You sent Daniel to our building,” Lauren said.
“I contacted his investigator. Cole told me Reed was out and looking for trouble. I found the investigator through the lawyer who handled his appeal.”
“Why?”
“Because Cole said if anyone asked about Northlight, I was the one who ran it.”
Self-preservation. Not remorse.
At least it was honest.
Maya stopped Sierra when she tried to hand over a laptop.
“Get your own attorney. Preserve the device. Don't delete, edit, or search for things on our instructions. Your lawyer can arrange a proper transfer.”
Sierra swallowed.
“There's something else. Cole has a buyer for the charity's remaining building. The contract is supposed to close before New Year's.”
Lauren's father had bought that brownstone to house families between shelters and permanent homes.
“He can't sell it by himself.”
“He says he has your approval.”
Lauren felt cold again.
“I haven't approved anything.”
Sierra slid a printed email across the table. It had been sent to the buyer's attorney two days earlier.
May you like
Attached was a trustee consent form.
At the bottom, perfectly placed above Lauren's printed name, was her signature.
