Chapter 9 - Cedar RidgeNoah expected Daniel to confront Claire immediately.
He didn't.
Instead, Daniel became quiet.
That frightened Noah more than shouting would have.
For two days Daniel worked from home with Rebecca and an outside forensic accountant named Thomas Keller.
Claire behaved as though nothing had changed.
She made coffee.
Answered calls.
Asked Noah whether he wanted lunch.
The performance was almost admirable.
On Monday afternoon Daniel called Noah into the library.
“I owe you something.”
Noah waited.
Daniel struggled.
Finally:
“I'm sorry I hit you.”
Noah looked at him.
The words he had wanted for days finally came.
They didn't feel as good as he expected.
Daniel continued.
“I was wrong.”
“Do you believe me now?”
Daniel hesitated.
The hesitation ruined it.
“I believe I should have listened.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
Daniel sat.
“I don't know what happened at the pool.”
Noah laughed quietly.
“Then you're not sorry.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You're sorry you hit me. You're not sorry you believed her.”
Daniel looked wounded.
Noah didn't care.
Not yet.
Daniel leaned forward.
“Noah, I am trying.”
“So am I.”
“Trying what?”
“To prove your wife wants to destroy me.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Claire isn't trying to destroy you.”
Noah almost walked out.
Then Daniel said, “But something is wrong.”
That stopped him.
Daniel placed a document on the table.
Cedar Ridge Consulting's bank account.
Noah recognized the number ending in 4817.
Elena had copied it correctly.
“Where does the money go?”
Daniel looked grim.
“Mostly nowhere.”
“What?”
“Cedar Ridge received company payments and then transferred money into several other entities.”
“Owned by who?”
“We're tracing them.”
“Claire?”
“We don't know.”
Noah sat opposite him.
“Mark?”
“We don't know.”
Daniel looked older than forty-two.
“The account was opened eighteen months ago.”
“When Claire started pushing you to change your estate?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Yes.”
Noah's stomach tightened.
Daniel continued.
“And there's another problem.”
“What?”
“Someone used internal company information to purchase land near three future Reed Horizon projects.”
Noah frowned.
“Why?”
“Because land becomes much more valuable after we announce development.”
“Insider trading?”
“Not exactly. We're private. But it's still theft of confidential information and potentially fraud.”
“Who bought it?”
“A company linked to Cedar Ridge.”
Noah understood.
Claire and Mark weren't just stealing consulting fees.
They were using Daniel's future development plans to buy land cheaply before Reed Horizon arrived.
Then selling it back at huge profits.
“How much?”
“Potentially more than eight million.”
Noah stared at him.
“Dad…”
Daniel stood.
“Don't tell anyone.”
“Claire already knows we're investigating.”
“I know.”
“Then why is she still here?”
The question hung between them.
Daniel answered quietly.
“Because she's my wife.”
Noah shook his head.
“That isn't a reason.”
“It is when you love someone.”
Noah looked at him.
“Did you love Mom?”
Daniel stiffened.
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“It has everything to do with this.”
“Noah.”
“You trusted Mom.”
“Yes.”
“You don't trust Claire.”
Daniel looked away.
Noah realized something.
“You're afraid.”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Of what?”
Still nothing.
Noah leaned forward.
“What does she have on you?”
Daniel looked sharply at him.
That was enough.
Noah's anger disappeared.
Claire wasn't only manipulating Daniel through love.
She had leverage over him too.
“What did you do?”
Daniel's face hardened.
“Nothing.”
“Dad.”
“Drop it.”
“No.”
Daniel stood.
“This conversation is over.”
Noah watched him leave.
That night, Noah entered his mother's old art room.
Nobody used it anymore.
Leah's books remained on the shelves.
Her old sketchpads sat inside a cabinet.
Noah had avoided the room for years because it hurt too much.
Now he searched.
His mother had known the company.
She had created the trust.
Maybe she had known something about Daniel too.
Inside a desk drawer Noah found an envelope with his father's name.
It had never been sealed.
Inside was a handwritten note.
Daniel, if anything ever happens to me, protect Noah from the company before you protect the company from Noah.
Noah read it again.
Then he found something behind the paper.
An old USB drive.
May you like
Written on it in Leah's handwriting were two words:
FOR DANIEL.
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