Chapter 8: The Woman Who Knew My Father's Secret
I read the message again.
She knows what happened to your father.
My father had died of a heart attack.
That was what the hospital report said.
That was what the death certificate said.
That was what every member of our family believed.
But now someone was suggesting Victoria Rowan knew something different.
I called Daniel again.
"Tell me everything you know about Victoria.""
He sighed.
"She worked for Richard's investment group before moving to London. She was involved in several private acquisition negotiations.""
"Was she involved with Rowan Works?""
"Not officially.""
"Then how did she know about the company?""
"Her father discussed it with her. She also had access to some early financial presentations.""
"How did she get those?""
"I don't know.""
I walked toward the window.
"Daniel, did Victoria have contact with my father?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"About six months before he died.""
I turned around.
"What?""
"Your father met her privately. I was asked to prepare a confidentiality agreement.""
"Why didn't anyone tell me?""
"Because your father instructed me not to.""
I felt something tighten in my chest.
"What did they discuss?""
"I wasn't present. But afterward, your father asked me to revise the ownership provisions in the Rowan Legacy Trust.""
I looked at the documents on my desk.
"Did he change the beneficiaries?""
"No. He added an additional protection clause.""
"What protection?""
Daniel hesitated.
"An automatic suspension of certain licensing rights if anyone attempted to obtain control through fraudulent representations.""
I closed my eyes.
My father had anticipated this.
He had prepared for someone to try to steal the company through a transaction that appeared legitimate.
"Did he mention Victoria?""
"Only once.""
"What did he say?""
Daniel's voice softened.
"He said, 'If Victoria comes back, don't assume she's here to help.''"
I ended the call.
Jonathan had been listening.
"Leah, I think we should involve outside counsel immediately.""
"We will.""
"And perhaps the authorities.""
"Not yet.""
He frowned.
"Why?""
"Because I want to know whether Victoria is involved in the transaction or whether she's trying to stop it.""
Jonathan looked unconvinced.
I picked up my phone.
"Find her.""
At 7:40 p.m., an email arrived.
It contained a flight itinerary.
Victoria Rowan had arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport that afternoon.
She was staying at the Grand Bohemian Hotel.
Jonathan looked at the screen.
"Do you want us to contact her?""
"No.""
"Leah.""
"I want to meet her.""
He shook his head.
"That may not be wise.""
"Then come with me.""
The hotel lobby was quiet when I arrived.
Victoria stood near the bar.
She was forty-two, with dark brown hair, a tailored black coat, and the same sharp eyes I remembered from Grant's family Christmas dinners.
She turned when she saw me.
"Leah.""
I stopped in front of her.
"Victoria.""
She glanced at Jonathan.
"Can we speak privately?""
I looked at him.
"Wait here.""
Victoria led me toward a small seating area beside the windows.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she said:
"You look like your father.""
I felt my jaw tighten.
"Don't.""
She lowered her eyes.
"Fair enough.""
I sat down.
"Why are you here?""
"Because Richard has made a terrible mistake.""
"Which one?""
She almost smiled.
"Trying to buy your company.""
I leaned forward.
"Are you involved?""
"Not anymore.""
"That's not an answer.""
She took a breath.
"Three months ago, Richard asked me to help establish the management trust. He wanted a structure that would allow him to control Rowan Works after the acquisition.""
"And you agreed.""
"Initially.""
"Why?""
"Because he told me Grant had already negotiated the deal with you.""
I stared at her.
"He told you I had agreed?""
"Yes.""
"Did you verify that?""
She looked away.
"No.""
I shook my head.
"Then you were either careless or willing to believe whatever your father told you.""
"Both, perhaps.""
Her honesty surprised me.
I asked the next question.
"Why did you send me that warning?""
Victoria looked toward the hotel entrance.
"Because I found something in Richard's private files.""
"What?""
"An old correspondence between him and your father.""
I felt my pulse quicken.
"About what?""
"Your father's final months.""
I sat very still.
"Explain.""
Victoria opened her handbag and removed a small envelope.
She placed it on the table.
"Your father met Richard shortly before he died. He was investigating a series of financial transfers connected to Blackstone Meridian.""
"What transfers?""
"Payments made through a company called Meridian Advisory Services.""
I recognized the name.
It appeared in Grant's proposed acquisition agreement.
Victoria continued.
"Your father believed someone had been moving money out of Rowan Works through consulting contracts and vendor payments.""
I looked at her.
"How much?""
"Over eleven million dollars.""
My stomach tightened.
"Who received it?""
"Several companies. Some were controlled by people close to Richard.""
"And Grant?""
Victoria didn't answer immediately.
"Grant approved some of the contracts.""
I stood.
"You're telling me my husband was stealing from his own company?""
"I'm telling you that your father believed he was.""
"Did he have proof?""
Victoria slid the envelope toward me.
"That's what he was trying to obtain.""
I opened it.
Inside was a photocopy of an email.
My father's name appeared at the top.
The message was addressed to Richard.
I know about the transfers. I know about the consulting arrangements. I also know that Grant has been told these payments are legitimate acquisition expenses.
I stopped reading.
The next paragraph was worse.
If you do not return the funds and disclose the beneficiaries, I will activate the protections in the legacy agreement.
I looked up.
"Did Richard respond?""
Victoria nodded.
"Yes.""
"What did he say?""
"He asked your father to meet him.""
"When?""
"Two days before your father died.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"Where?""
"At a private club in Charlotte.""
I stared at her.
"Did they meet?""
"Yes.""
"How do you know?""
"Because I drove Richard there.""
My fingers tightened around the paper.
"And?""
"When he came out, he was furious. He told me your father had threatened to destroy him financially.""
I struggled to keep my voice steady.
"What happened after that?""
"Three days later, your father died.""
I looked down.
The hotel seemed suddenly too quiet.
"Victoria, are you suggesting Richard had something to do with his death?""
She shook her head quickly.
"No. I don't know that. I'm telling you what I witnessed.""
"Then why didn't you tell the police?""
"Because I didn't know anything criminal had happened.""
"And now?""
She looked directly at me.
"Now I know Richard has been trying to get his hands on the same assets your father was investigating.""
I stared at the envelope.
"What about the eleven million dollars?""
"I have copies of some transactions.""
"Where?""
"On an encrypted drive.""
I looked at her.
"Why bring it to me?""
"Because I found out Richard planned to remove me from the management trust once the acquisition was complete.""
"You're one of the beneficiaries.""
"Not anymore. I resigned last week.""
I studied her face.
"Why should I trust you?""
She gave a tired smile.
"You shouldn't.""
That answer caught me off guard.
She continued.
"But you should verify everything I give you.""
I picked up the envelope.
"Then give me the drive.""
Victoria reached into her handbag.
Before she could remove it, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
"Don't answer that," I said.
She showed me the caller ID.
RICHARD ROWAN.
The phone stopped ringing.
A message appeared.
*I KNOW YOU'RE WITH LEAH. LEAVE NOW.*
Victoria went pale.
Then another message arrived.
*YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR FATHER DID.*
I looked at her.
"What does he mean?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
But her hands were trembling.
I reached for the phone.
"Victoria, what did my father do?""
She stared at the screen.
Then she whispered:
"He didn't just protect the patents.""
I waited.
"He transferred something else into the trust.""
"What?""
"Shares.""
I frowned.
"Which shares?""
Victoria looked at me.
"Your father's controlling shares in Richard's original investment company.""
I froze.
"That's impossible. Richard controls that company.""
"Not anymore.""
She opened the encrypted file on her phone.
A corporate ownership chart appeared.
At the top was Rowan Legacy Trust.
Beneath it was a holding company.
And beneath that was Richard Rowan's private investment firm.
My father's name appeared beside a controlling interest.
The date of the transfer was three weeks before his death.
I stared at the screen.
My father hadn't simply created a protective trust.
He had quietly acquired control of the very company Richard had spent decades building.
And he had left that control to me.
Victoria looked at me.
"Richard doesn't want Rowan Works because of the patents alone.""
"Then why?""
"Because he needs the acquisition to happen before the ownership transfer in the old agreement is discovered.""
I looked at the documents again.
Suddenly, the three-hundred-million-dollar threat made sense.
Richard wasn't just afraid of losing a minority stake.
He was afraid I might discover that my father had already taken control of his empire.
My phone vibrated.
A message from Jonathan.
Leah, urgent. We received a court filing from Grant's legal team.
I opened the attachment.
It was an emergency petition requesting an injunction against Rowan Legacy Trust.
Grant was claiming that my father had transferred the patents into the trust improperly and that I was attempting to interfere with the company's lawful operations.
But there was something else.
A sworn statement.
Signed by Sloane Avery.
She claimed that I had privately agreed to surrender my thirty-two-percent ownership before the board meeting.
I stared at the signature.
Then I looked at Victoria.
"Does Sloane know about the old ownership structure?""
Victoria's expression changed.
"Yes.""
"How?""
She hesitated.
Then she said:
"Because Sloane isn't just Grant's mistress.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"What do you mean?""
Victoria leaned closer.
"She is Richard's biological daughter.""
I couldn't move.
Sloane Avery.
The woman sitting in my chair.
The woman Grant had promised twelve percent of my company.
The woman who had just signed a sworn statement against me.
She was Richard Rowan's daughter.
Which meant Grant had been sleeping with his father's daughter.
And Richard had been planning to install her inside Rowan Works all along.
Victoria looked at me.
"Leah, there's something even worse.""
I turned toward her.
"What?""
"Grant knows.""
I didn't remember leaving the hotel.
I only remembered Jonathan opening the car door and asking whether I was all right.
I handed him the court filing.
"Grant has submitted a sworn statement from Sloane.""
He read it.
Then looked at me.
"What's wrong?""
I told him.
Every detail.
Victoria's evidence.
The hidden ownership transfer.
And Sloane's real identity.
Jonathan stared at me.
"Are you certain?""
"Victoria has the records.""
He looked through the window.
"Then this is no longer just a corporate dispute.""
"No.""
I opened my phone and looked at the photograph from the boardroom.
Grant's hand rested on Sloane's shoulder.
He had called her sweetheart.
He had given her my chair.
And he had apparently known exactly who she was.
My phone rang.
Grant.
I answered.
His voice was cold.
"Withdraw the injunction response.""
"No.""
"Leah, this is your final warning.""
"Did you know Sloane was Richard's daughter?""
Silence.
Then a quiet laugh.
"You really need to stop listening to Victoria.""
I closed my eyes.
"Answer the question.""
Grant's voice hardened.
"She's an adult. Her family is none of your business.""
"Did you know?""
He didn't answer.
I continued.
"Did you know your mistress was your father's daughter?""
His breathing changed.
Then he said:
"You have no idea what happened before we got married.""
The call ended.
I lowered my phone.
Jonathan looked at me.
"What did he say?""
I stared at the dark screen.
May you like
"That I don't know what happened before we got married.""
And suddenly, I wondered whether my marriage had been built on a lie from the very beginning.
