Chapter 5 - The Woman Behind the Empire
Claire stared at her father's signature.
It was unmistakable.
She had seen it thousands of times.
Dominic picked up the document.
“Your father transferred your mother's ownership interest.”
“When?”
“Six days after her death.”
Claire's lips trembled.
“To whom?”
Dominic looked at the page.
“To a private trust.”
“Whose trust?”
“Charles Whitmore's.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The reason her father had always kept her away from company meetings.
The reason he had refused to give her an official position.
The reason he became furious whenever she asked about her mother's estate.
He hadn't merely ignored her.
He had been afraid of what she might discover.
Dominic sat across from her.
“What did your mother leave you?”
“I don't know.”
“Your father told you there was nothing?”
Claire nodded.
“He said my mother died heavily in debt.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“She wasn't.”
Claire looked up.
“She owned twenty-eight percent of the company.”
“And according to this document, she owned more.”
“How much?”
Dominic slid another paper toward her.
“Forty-three percent.”
Claire stared.
“Forty-three?”
“Yes.”
Her voice became almost inaudible.
“Then my father didn't build this company.”
Dominic said nothing.
Claire laughed once.
It wasn't a happy laugh.
“My mother did.”
Dominic nodded.
“And you.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“You've been saving it.”
Claire shook her head.
“I was only fixing problems.”
“No.”
Dominic leaned forward.
“You were running the company.”
Claire stared at him.
For the first time, she understood the truth.
Every time she negotiated a contract, she was protecting the business.
Every time she prevented a foreclosure, she was protecting her mother's legacy.
Every time she fixed Charles's mistakes, she was protecting employees who didn't even know her name.
And Charles had allowed her to believe she was insignificant.
A phone rang.
Dominic answered.
“Yes?”
He listened.
His expression darkened.
“Where?”
A pause.
“Don't touch anything.”
He hung up.
“What happened?” Claire asked.
“One of your warehouses was broken into.”
Claire stood.
“Which one?”
“Baltimore.”
Her face changed.
“That warehouse contains the original shipping records.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Exactly.”
They drove there.
The warehouse was surrounded by police.
Claire entered with Dominic.
Boxes had been torn open.
Files were scattered everywhere.
But one cabinet remained untouched.
Claire walked toward it.
She opened the drawer.
Nothing.
Her heart sank.
“The original ledgers.”
Gone.
Dominic looked at the floor.
He saw something.
A single gold cufflink.
He picked it up.
Claire recognized it.
“My father wears those.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Then Claire noticed something else.
A security camera.
The red light was still blinking.
She rushed to the control room.
The footage showed someone entering the warehouse.
Charles.
Claire watched in silence.
He opened the cabinet.
Removed the files.
Then stood there for several seconds.
As if speaking to someone on the phone.
Claire whispered, “Who was he talking to?”
Dominic paused the video.
Zoomed in.
A reflection appeared in the glass.
A second man stood behind Charles.
Claire didn't recognize him.
Dominic did.
“Victor.”
Claire turned.
“You said he disappeared.”
“I was wrong.”
The video continued.
Victor leaned toward Charles.
Even without sound, Claire could read his lips.
She replayed the footage.
Again.
Again.
Then she understood.
He was saying one sentence.
Where is Claire?
Dominic shut down the screen.
“We're leaving.”
Claire looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because they aren't after your father's company anymore.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“They're after you.”
Claire's phone suddenly rang.
The screen showed her father's name.
She answered.
Charles spoke only six words.
May you like
“Your mother left you something.”
Then the line went dead.
