Chapter 8 - Julia’s Shares
Julia had left Emma eighteen percent of Mercer Luxe.
The shares sat inside the Julia Mercer Family Trust.
Daniel served as trustee until Emma turned twenty-five.
The trust allowed him to vote the shares, but required independent approval for transactions presenting certain conflicts.
Daniel owned forty-two percent personally.
The remaining shares belonged to early investors and employees.
Celeste owned none.
That fact had bothered her almost from the beginning.
Daniel remembered the first conversation now.
They had been married six months.
Celeste was looking at estate documents.
“So if something happens to you, Emma eventually controls most of this?”
“Between my estate plan and Julia’s trust, yes.”
“She’ll be a child.”
“There are trustees.”
“What about me?”
“You’re provided for.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Daniel had kissed her.
Made a joke.
Avoided the conflict.
Months later, Celeste proposed creating a family holding company.
“Cleaner,” she said.
Daniel refused.
Julia’s shares would remain where Julia put them.
Celeste called that “marrying a ghost.”
Daniel ended the conversation.
Now he wondered what happened after.
Margaret summoned him to outside counsel’s office.
A forensic accountant named Peter Lang had found something unrelated to Halcyon.
“Verona Footwear,” Peter said.
Daniel frowned.
Mercer Luxe had been considering buying Verona for nearly a year.
Boutique sneaker and women’s lifestyle brand.
Purchase price under discussion:
Twenty-eight million dollars.
Daniel disliked the valuation.
Owen supported it.
Celeste loved the brand.
“What about Verona?”
Peter turned his laptop.
“A company called Baybridge Capital owns eleven percent.”
“So?”
“Baybridge’s beneficial ownership is hidden behind two LLCs.”
Daniel waited.
“We traced one.”
His stomach tightened.
“To who?”
“Celeste.”
Silence.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“That’s impossible.”
Peter slid documents across.
Baybridge’s ownership chain led to Ward Advisory Holdings.
Celeste’s maiden name was Ward.
She had invested $320,000 eighteen months earlier.
Two months before marrying Daniel.
“If Mercer Luxe buys Verona,” Daniel said slowly, “what does her stake become worth?”
Peter answered:
“At the proposed price, roughly 3.1 million.”
Daniel leaned back.
Three hundred twenty thousand becoming more than three million.
“She never disclosed this.”
“No.”
“That’s a conflict.”
“Yes.”
“And Owen?”
Peter opened another document.
A second beneficial owner of Baybridge.
Grant Family Investment Partners.
Daniel felt physically ill.
Owen.
Owen and Celeste.
Both secretly invested in a company they were pushing Mercer Luxe to acquire.
“How much would Owen make?”
“Approximately 4.4 million.”
Daniel laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
The room felt too small.
Margaret said quietly:
“This is likely why they needed the acquisition.”
Daniel thought of his objections.
The price is inflated.
Customer retention is weak.
Wait six months.
Owen pushed.
Celeste argued.
Daniel refused.
Then the boutique event.
Then the tower.
Then the video.
Then administrative leave.
“What happens if I remain on leave?”
Margaret understood.
“Owen would have more influence over financial recommendations.”
“Could the board approve Verona without me?”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at her sharply.
“Would you?”
“Not now.”
“But before?”
Margaret was honest.
“Possibly.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
There was the motive.
Not necessarily for hurting Emma.
But for making Daniel look unstable.
Remove him long enough.
Close Verona.
Celeste and Owen walk away millions richer.
He thought of Leonard’s words:
You really don’t know, do you?
Daniel whispered:
“They used Emma.”
Nobody contradicted him.
Peter continued.
“There’s another issue.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“Of course.”
“Celeste’s initial $320,000 investment.”
“What about it?”
“Some came from a joint marital account.”
Daniel stared.
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
He had never authorized it.
Celeste had used their money to secretly invest in a deal she later pushed his company to buy at a valuation that would make her millions.
Daniel stood.
“I want her out of my house.”
Margaret raised a hand.
“Daniel.”
“My daughter is there.”
“Emma is with you.”
“Yes.”
“Then do this through counsel.”
Daniel breathed.
Right.
The video.
The temper.
The trap had already taught him something.
Every uncontrolled reaction could be used.
He called Nora Feldman, his family attorney.
Not Celeste.
Not Owen.
Not security.
A lawyer.
“I need to separate from my wife.”
Nora asked:
“Are you in immediate danger?”
“No.”
“Is Emma?”
“Not right now.”
“Then we do this correctly.”
Daniel sat.
Correctly.
Not dramatically.
Not by throwing anyone into a wall.
He stared at the Baybridge records.
May you like
Celeste and Owen had spent months betting that Daniel could be manipulated by anger.
He decided they were done being right about him.
