Chapter 5 - The Secret Sarah Took With HerDaniel couldn't breathe.
Sarah's photograph had been taken outside the hospital.
But she had never told him anyone was watching her.
He called Renee.
She came immediately.
“Daniel?”
He handed her the laptop.
She looked at the photograph.
“This isn't about you.”
“What?”
“Look.”
There were dozens of documents.
Arthur Sterling had been investigating medical supply contracts.
One supplier had ties to a company owned by Ethan.
That supplier had provided equipment to the hospital where Sarah was treated.
Daniel felt sick.
“You're saying…”
“Your wife's treatment may have been connected to my father's investigation.”
He sat down.
“No.”
Renee touched his shoulder.
“We don't know what happened.”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then he saw an email.
Arthur had written:
If anything happens to me, protect the Hayes family.
Daniel read it twice.
“Why would your father care about us?”
Renee looked at him.
“Because your wife was one of the first people to report irregularities.”
Daniel remembered.
Sarah had once mentioned something strange about a medication.
She had told him:
“Somebody is making money from sick people.”
He had assumed she was confused.
She had been dying.
He had been exhausted.
He hadn't listened.
Daniel closed his eyes.
He had spent four years blaming himself for not saving Sarah.
Now he wondered if the truth was worse.
Someone had profited from her illness.
And Arthur Sterling had known.
The investigation accelerated.
Federal authorities became involved.
The board meeting was scheduled.
Ethan intended to remove Renee as CEO.
Instead, Renee walked into the conference room with Daniel beside her.
The board members stared.
Ethan smiled.
“Renee, this is inappropriate.”
“No.”
She placed the evidence on the table.
“This is overdue.”
Ethan looked at the documents.
His smile disappeared.
“You have no idea what you're doing.”
“I know exactly what I'm doing.”
Daniel spoke.
“You forged my signature.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Who are you?”
“The man you tried to frame.”
The room erupted.
Renee played the recordings.
Then the bank records.
Then Arthur's letter.
Ethan's face turned pale.
But he wasn't finished.
He smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
Renee froze.
“What?”
“Your father didn't leave you this company.”
“What?”
“He left you a trap.”
Silence.
Ethan leaned forward.
“Sterling Global is drowning in debt.”
Renee stared at him.
“No.”
“You have six months before the truth becomes public.”
Daniel looked at her.
Ethan smiled.
“And when it does, you'll lose everything.”
Renee's face collapsed.
But Daniel noticed something.
Ethan looked afraid.
Not confident.
Afraid.
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That meant there was another secret.
And they were about to find it.
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