Chapter 6 - The Choice Willa Finally Made
Willa stepped back.
Adrian saw the change immediately.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Don’t tell me no.”
“I didn’t make that transfer.”
“It has your authorization code.”
“My code was used.”
“Those sound very similar.”
“They aren’t.”
“To me they are.”
Adrian exhaled.
“Give me an hour.”
She laughed.
“Of course.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means every man in a suit asks me for time right before explaining why something terrible isn’t what it looks like.”
“I’m not asking you to trust the evidence less.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking you to trust me enough to let me find out how it happened.”
Willa stared.
There it was.
Trust.
Another thing people always requested after giving her reasons not to.
She picked up her bag.
“No.”
His face tightened.
“Willa.”
“I’m going home.”
“Let me come with you.”
“No.”
“Your sister’s apartment was broken into.”
“I’ll stay with my father.”
“At least take security.”
“No.”
“This isn’t pride.”
“It’s choice.”
That stopped him.
Willa’s voice trembled, but she continued.
“You keep telling me I’m allowed to make choices. That means you don’t get to like only the ones that keep me near you.”
Adrian looked at her.
Then nodded.
“You’re right.”
She had expected argument.
His agreement almost hurt more.
He stepped aside.
“I’ll have Samuel send every document directly to you.”
“Not through you.”
“Not through me.”
She left.
At home, Willa sat at the kitchen table while Harold slept.
She opened the records.
The mysterious account bore her name.
WILLA SAWYER RESTITUTION ESCROW.
Forty thousand dollars.
Funded by Cole Family Holdings.
Authorization: A. COLE.
Three days before Adrian overheard her.
Willa’s stomach turned.
Had he known?
Had the entire encounter been staged?
Had the man behind the door already understood exactly who she was worth to him?
The possibility felt unbearable because it fit too well with her oldest belief.
Nobody chose Willa.
They chose what Willa could do.
At midnight, Mara knocked.
Willa almost didn’t open the door.
Her sister stood there with swollen eyes.
“I brought something.”
“What?”
Mara held up an old tablet.
“I found it in the girls’ toy bin.”
Willa frowned.
“It used to be mine.”
“So?”
“The man who gave me the money made me sign the form on this.”
Mara entered.
“He logged into some portal.”
“You saved anything?”
“I don’t know.”
They searched.
Browser history.
Downloads.
Cached documents.
Nothing obvious.
Then Mara opened photographs.
Several accidental screenshots appeared.
One showed the benefits form.
Another showed a browser tab behind it.
Cole Family Holdings.
Authorized User: AVA COLE.
Willa stared.
“Who’s Ava Cole?”
Mara shook her head.
At 12:41 a.m., Willa called Samuel.
He was awake.
Lawyers in crises apparently didn’t sleep.
“Ava Cole,” Willa said. “Who is she?”
Silence.
“Samuel?”
“Adrian’s aunt.”
“His father’s sister?”
“Yes.”
“Is she on the board?”
“No.”
“Does she have access to Adrian’s authorization credentials?”
Another pause.
“She used to.”
“Why?”
“She was trustee of Cole Family Holdings while Adrian’s father was ill.”
Willa closed her eyes.
“Where is she now?”
“Boston.”
“Call Adrian.”
“I already did.”
Willa’s chest tightened.
“When?”
“Twenty minutes ago.”
“Where is he?”
Samuel hesitated.
“On his way to Boston.”
Of course.
Adrian had not called her.
Because she told him not to.
Again, he had respected the boundary she set.
It annoyed her.
Which was unfair.
At six the next morning, Adrian arrived at his aunt’s brownstone.
Ava Cole was sixty-seven and had perfected the art of looking harmless while ruining lives.
She opened the door wearing a cashmere robe.
“Adrian.”
“Why did you use my authorization?”
She smiled.
“No good morning?”
He held up the transfer record.
Her smile faded.
“You should come inside.”
“No.”
“The neighbors.”
“I hope they hear.”
Ava sighed.
“You’ve become theatrical.”
“Did you transfer forty thousand dollars into an account under Willa Sawyer’s name?”
“Yes.”
The answer hit harder than denial.
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
“From what?”
“Your father.”
Adrian stared.
“My father is dead.”
“His plans aren’t.”
Ava invited him in again.
This time he followed.
She poured coffee.
He didn’t touch it.
“Thomas knew the trust could eventually destabilize the company,” she said.
“He created it.”
“He regretted parts of it.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“No.”
“Then don’t speak for him.”
Ava’s expression hardened.
“Your father was dying. He was sentimental.”
“About paying people money they earned?”
“About giving workers voting power.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“So you set up false evidence to disqualify Willa.”
“I created protection.”
“For whom?”
“For you.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“You never understand what power costs until somebody saves it for you.”
Adrian laughed bitterly.
“I think Willa understands better than either of us.”
Ava rolled her eyes.
“The laundry woman.”
“Say her name.”
Ava stared.
“Willa.”
“Again.”
She shook her head.
“You’re in love with her.”
Adrian went still.
It was the first time anyone had said it plainly.
Ava saw the answer.
“Oh, Adrian.”
He stood.
“Did Martin know?”
“No.”
“Victor?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“My attorney.”
“Name.”
She hesitated.
He repeated it.
“Name.”
“Peter Sloan.”
Adrian knew the name.
Samuel’s former law partner.
More importantly, Sloan administered Cole Family Holdings’ legacy accounts.
Adrian called Claire.
“Freeze Sloan’s access.”
“Already happening.”
He looked at Ava.
Her face changed.
“You recorded me.”
“No.”
Adrian held up his phone.
“Claire heard you live.”
Ava went pale.
By noon, outside counsel had everything.
The fraudulent transfer.
The authorization theft.
The attempt to disqualify Willa.
The link between Sloan and Martin’s consulting transaction.
Martin had not initiated the account transfer.
But he learned of it later and planned to use it.
That was enough.
The trust appointment survived.
Willa remained trustee.
Martin’s board influence collapsed.
The restitution investigation expanded.
One hundred eighty-seven employees were formally identified.
Estimated unpaid compensation exceeded $3.6 million.
Including interest and penalties, the number could pass five million.
Adrian returned that evening.
He did not go to Willa’s apartment.
He sent Samuel the evidence.
Nothing else.
At nine, Willa read it.
At ten, she read it again.
At eleven, Harold found her crying.
“Bad news?”
“No.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because he told the truth.”
Harold smiled sadly.
“That can be frightening too.”
Willa looked at him.
“What if I’m wrong about myself?”
“Which part?”
“The part where nobody stays.”
Harold leaned on his cane.
“Then maybe you stop punishing new people for old people’s choices.”
She looked down.
“That sounded wise.”
“I’m seventy-one. Eventually something has to stick.”
The next morning, Willa went to Harbor Cole.
Adrian wasn’t there.
Claire told her he had resigned permanently from all executive roles.
Willa stared.
“Why?”
“Lender confidence.”
“What?”
“The board would accept him back if he agrees to distance himself from the trust investigation.”
“He won’t.”
“No.”
“From me?”
Claire didn’t answer.
Willa’s chest tightened.
“Where is he?”
“Packing his office.”
Willa took the elevator to thirty-seven.
Adrian stood alone beside a cardboard box.
No assistants.
No directors.
No expensive drama.
Just a man putting photographs into a box.
He looked up.
“Hi.”
“Hi?”
He almost smiled.
“I wasn’t sure what greeting was appropriate.”
She closed the door.
“You resigned.”
“Yes.”
“Because of me.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“Because the board gave me a choice between protecting the company’s image and protecting the truth.”
“And?”
“I chose.”
Willa stared.
“Do you understand how insane this is?”
“Frequently.”
“You’re giving up your company.”
“I’m giving up a job.”
“You founded it.”
“I still own shares.”
“You know what I mean.”
He set down the photograph in his hand.
“Willa.”
“No.”
She walked closer.
“You don’t get to keep sacrificing things and then acting like it’s normal.”
“I’m not asking you to repay me.”
“That makes it worse.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what to do with it.”
Adrian looked at her for a long moment.
“Nothing.”
Her eyes filled.
“That’s the point.”
He stepped closer.
“You don’t owe me love because I helped you.”
She stopped breathing.
“You don’t owe me gratitude.”
He continued.
“You don’t owe me a relationship.”
Willa’s eyes spilled over.
“And if you decide tomorrow that you never want to see me again, I’ll hate it.”
A faint smile touched his face.
“But I’ll survive.”
She laughed through tears.
“You’re terrible at romance.”
“I’m trying very hard.”
“I can tell.”
He looked at her.
“What do you want, Willa?”
The question returned.
The first question.
The impossible question.
But this time she had an answer.
“I want you to stay.”
Adrian’s expression changed.
Willa stepped closer.
“Not because you need my vote.”
“I don’t.”
“Not because you feel responsible.”
“I don’t.”
“Not because I owe you anything.”
“You don’t.”
She reached for his hand.
“Stay because I’m asking.”
Adrian closed his fingers around hers.
Then the office door opened.
Samuel stood there.
His face was white.
“Adrian.”
Neither moved.
Samuel held a court filing.
“Martin filed an emergency petition.”
“For what?”
“To seize control of the trust.”
Willa turned.
Samuel looked directly at her.
“And the judge granted a hearing for tomorrow morning.”
May you like
He swallowed.
“If Martin wins, every employee claim can be frozen before a single person gets paid.”
