Chapter 9 - The Proxy
Celeste arrived at Daniel’s house with a folder.
Nora had advised him not to be alone.
Margaret sat in the adjoining room.
A private security professional waited outside.
Emma was with Rosa.
Celeste hated that.
“You sent my stepdaughter away with an employee?”
“Emma asked to stay with Rosa.”
“She is six.”
Daniel did not argue.
“What’s in the folder?”
Celeste placed it on the table.
“Temporary management proxy.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“For what?”
“Your voting rights.”
“No.”
“You didn’t read it.”
“I don’t need to.”
“Daniel.”
“No.”
Celeste’s expression tightened.
“You are on administrative leave.”
“Yes.”
“You cannot keep destabilizing the company.”
“I’m not.”
“Your public approval has collapsed.”
“Temporary.”
“Owen says lenders are nervous.”
Daniel studied her.
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
“How is Baybridge?”
Celeste stopped.
Very small reaction.
Enough.
“I don’t know what that is.”
Daniel stared.
She recovered.
“What are you talking about?”
He slid a document across the table.
Her name.
Ward Advisory Holdings.
The Baybridge chain.
The Verona stake.
Celeste stared at it.
Then slowly sat.
“Where did you get this?”
“That is your first question?”
“Daniel.”
“You invested our money in Verona.”
“It was an opportunity.”
“You hid it.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“When?”
“After the acquisition.”
He laughed.
Her face hardened.
“You would have killed the deal if you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Exactly.”
Daniel stared.
She heard herself.
Celeste immediately changed direction.
“I knew you would overreact.”
“Because your profit depended on me not knowing?”
“It was separate.”
“No.”
Daniel pushed the paper toward her.
“You encouraged Mercer Luxe to pay twenty-eight million for a company in which you secretly owned interest.”
“I never voted.”
“You’re not a director.”
“Then how is it a conflict?”
“Because you advised me.”
“You don’t listen to me.”
Daniel sat back.
There it was.
Resentment.
The same thing Rosa described.
Celeste believed not having formal authority justified informal manipulation.
“Did Owen know?”
Celeste looked away.
“Celeste.”
“He brought me the opportunity.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Before our wedding?”
“Yes.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Three years.”
Daniel looked up sharply.
She and Daniel had met two years earlier.
“You knew Owen before me?”
“Business circles.”
“You never told me.”
“It didn’t matter.”
Everything hidden apparently did not matter until exposed.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Did you know Leonard Pike?”
“No.”
The answer came fast.
Too fast?
Maybe.
“Did you know Halcyon?”
“I approved event budgets.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
She folded her arms.
“I know the name.”
“Did you know they were connected to Pike?”
“No.”
“Did you know Owen used them years ago?”
“No.”
“Did you know the tower camera was disabled?”
Celeste looked genuinely surprised.
“What?”
Daniel studied her.
Maybe she had not.
Maybe some parts belonged to Owen alone.
Then Celeste said:
“This is exactly why you need the proxy.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
“Owen needs freedom to manage.”
“After everything I just showed you?”
“He made an investment. So did I.”
“He concealed it.”
“So did I.”
“And that makes him trustworthy?”
“It makes him practical.”
Daniel almost admired the logic.
“You still want Verona to close.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it is a good deal.”
“For you.”
“For Mercer.”
“For you.”
“Both can be true.”
Daniel stood.
“The answer is no.”
Celeste stared.
“To the proxy?”
“To Verona.”
Her face went pale.
“You cannot decide that while on leave.”
“I can vote my shares.”
“Not if the board extends your leave.”
Daniel understood.
That was the plan.
She needed him removed long enough that Owen could persuade the board.
“What did you think would happen after the champagne tower?”
Celeste’s expression changed.
“What kind of question is that?”
“Did you expect me to lose control?”
Silence.
Daniel stepped closer but kept distance.
“Did you?”
“I expected you to protect Emma.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
Celeste’s eyes hardened.
“You always become someone else when she’s threatened.”
Daniel stared.
“How would you know she was going to be threatened?”
Celeste froze.
There it was.
Not proof.
But a crack.
Daniel said nothing.
Celeste grabbed her folder.
“You’re twisting my words.”
“Maybe.”
She headed for the door.
“Celeste.”
She stopped.
“You will not be alone with Emma.”
She turned.
“You don’t decide that.”
“I’m her father.”
“I’m your wife.”
“Not for much longer.”
The words hurt.
Even after everything.
Her face broke for half a second.
Then she recovered.
“You’ll regret this.”
Daniel almost answered.
Instead he opened the door.
Celeste left.
Margaret entered from the other room.
“You handled that better than I expected.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Thank you for the insult.”
“It was a compliment.”
His phone buzzed.
Detective Keene.
Pike’s attorney wants to talk.
May you like
Daniel stared.
Maybe Leonard had finally decided who paid him mattered more than protecting whoever had.
