Chapter 17 - The People at Our Table
There were seven.
Seven Harrington executives had helped Derek.
Two knowingly.
Three for money.
One through blackmail.
One because he believed Derek would eventually own the company.
Dad took that hardest.
He knew every one of them.
One had attended my grandmother's funeral.
Another had spent Christmas at our house.
A third had been Dad's friend for twenty-three years.
Betrayal isn't always loud.
Sometimes it sits beside you at dinner.
The investigation moved quickly.
Accounts were frozen.
Executives were suspended.
Evidence was preserved.
The board created an independent review committee.
Dad finally admitted what nobody expected him to admit.
"I caused some of this."
Emily stared at him.
"Dad, no."
"Yes."
He looked at me.
"I wanted Derek to succeed so badly that I ignored things I would've questioned from anyone else."
He turned toward Emily.
"And when you tried to warn me, I told you marriage was difficult."
Emily looked down.
"I'm sorry."
Dad's voice broke.
"I should have listened."
Emily hugged him.
Mom joined them.
I looked away.
Some moments don't need witnesses.
Then my phone buzzed.
Marcus.
Vane was cooperating.
And according to him, Derek had hidden one final insurance policy.
A video archive.
Years of secret recordings.
Board meetings.
Private conversations.
Family arguments.
Everything.
"Where?"
Marcus sent the location.
I read it twice.
Then looked at Emily.
May you like
The archive wasn't in an office.
It was inside her house.
