Chapter 3 - The Woman Derek Thought He Could ControlAt 8:06 the next morning, Khloe Harrison walked into her father’s townhouse wearing the same white gown from her engagement party.
She had washed the blood from her feet.
She had changed into flats.
But she deliberately kept the dress.
Roman hated the idea.
She knew because he had spent eleven minutes explaining every reason it was dangerous.
Khloe had listened.
Then she had done it anyway.
Three of Roman’s security men were positioned nearby without Derek knowing.
Roman himself waited in an SUV half a block away.
Khloe entered alone.
Derek stood beside the fireplace.
Aubrey sat on the sofa.
Neither appeared surprised.
That frightened Khloe.
Derek looked at her dress.
“I knew you’d come back.”
Khloe said nothing.
He approached.
His gaze moved to her bruised wrist.
Something almost like regret flickered across his expression.
“I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”
“No.”
“But you were hysterical.”
There it was.
The first correction.
Not I hurt you.
You were hysterical.
Khloe let her shoulders lower.
“I didn’t sleep.”
Derek softened immediately.
“I know.”
Aubrey stood.
“Can we stop the melodrama now?”
Khloe looked at her.
Aubrey wore cream trousers, a cashmere sweater and the same diamond earrings Michael had given her on her twenty-fifth birthday.
Almost two million dollars had passed into her account.
Khloe wanted to ask why.
Not yet.
Derek reached toward her.
Khloe forced herself not to recoil.
“I can fix this,” he said.
“How?”
“Sign the agreement.”
She lowered her eyes.
“We should talk first.”
Derek smiled.
Roman had predicted that smile.
Give a controlling man hope that control has returned, and he becomes careless.
Khloe sat.
“I panicked last night.”
“You did.”
“I saw the transfer clause and thought you were trying to take everything.”
Derek knelt in front of her.
“Khloe, sweetheart, I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
“Your father’s mistakes.”
“My father?”
“He left Harrison Logistics drowning.”
Khloe allowed tears into her eyes.
They were not difficult to summon.
“My father never told me.”
“Because he was proud.”
Derek touched her knee.
“You know how he was.”
Yes.
Khloe knew exactly how Michael Harrison had been.
Which was why Derek’s lie sounded so obvious now.
She whispered, “How much debt?”
“Almost ninety million.”
Another lie.
The video showed the legitimate debt was less than twenty-two million.
“And you can save it?”
“I already have.”
“With Pierce Holdings?”
Derek’s expression changed.
Barely.
But enough.
“Who told you about Pierce Holdings?”
Khloe looked frightened.
It wasn’t difficult.
“I read the agreement.”
“That name doesn’t matter.”
“Then why does it get my shares?”
“Temporary restructuring.”
Aubrey sighed.
“Khloe, sign the papers and let the adults handle this.”
Khloe slowly turned toward her stepsister.
“You knew Dad was going to fire Derek.”
Silence.
Derek’s eyes hardened.
Aubrey blinked.
“What?”
Khloe had taken the risk.
Now she watched.
Derek looked at Aubrey.
Not confusion.
Warning.
There it was.
Khloe felt sick.
She continued softly.
“Didn’t you?”
Aubrey laughed.
“You spent the night with Roman Casso and came back with conspiracy theories?”
“He knew my father.”
That was not entirely true.
But the effect was immediate.
Derek stood.
“What did Casso tell you?”
Khloe did not answer.
Derek took another step.
“What did he show you?”
Aubrey looked scared now.
Khloe filed that away too.
“He showed me his restaurant.”
Derek studied her.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t care what you believe.”
Too strong.
She had let anger through.
Derek’s expression changed.
Khloe quickly looked away.
“I’m tired.”
He relaxed slightly.
Good.
She stood.
“I need a shower.”
Derek reached for her.
“First, the papers.”
Khloe stared at him.
“You said five minutes last night.”
“I was angry.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m protecting what belongs to us.”
Us.
Khloe looked at the fountain pen waiting on the coffee table.
“I’ll sign after I shower.”
“Khloe.”
She forced herself to smile.
“You waited six months. You can wait twenty minutes.”
Derek looked at Aubrey.
Then nodded.
“Twenty minutes.”
Khloe walked upstairs.
She entered her father’s bedroom.
Closed the door.
Locked it.
Then crossed directly to the closet.
Her father kept old suits on the left.
Shoes below.
A wooden box of watches on the shelf.
Khloe ignored all of them.
She went to the nightstand.
Michael had once told her that the greatest hiding places were things nobody considered valuable.
She pulled out the bottom drawer.
Removed it.
Behind it sat a thin black notebook.
Khloe’s heart pounded.
She opened it.
Dates.
Payments.
Initials.
D.P.
A.H.
N.A.G.
And next to several entries:
R17.
Red Hook 17.
Khloe photographed every page.
Then she noticed the last entry.
Written on the morning her father died.
Derek knows I found the secondary books. Meeting 9:30. If he refuses to explain, call USAO.
USAO.
United States Attorney’s Office.
Her father had been preparing to report Derek.
Khloe heard footsteps outside.
A knock.
“Khloe?”
Aubrey.
She slipped the notebook inside her dress.
“One minute.”
The door handle moved.
“It’s locked.”
“I’m changing.”
Silence.
Then Aubrey spoke again.
“Khloe, Derek is getting impatient.”
Something was different in her voice.
Not irritation.
Fear.
Khloe opened the door.
Aubrey entered immediately and closed it behind her.
“Did you find something?”
Khloe stared at her.
“What?”
“In Dad’s room.”
“No.”
Aubrey studied her.
Then whispered, “You need to leave.”
Khloe’s heartbeat changed.
“What?”
“Right now.”
Ten minutes earlier, Aubrey had been insulting her downstairs.
Now her face had gone pale.
“Why?”
Aubrey looked toward the door.
“Because Derek knows you talked to Roman.”
“How?”
“He has someone watching the restaurant.”
Khloe’s blood chilled.
Aubrey grabbed her arm.
“Go out through the back stairs.”
Khloe pulled away.
“Why are you helping me?”
Pain crossed Aubrey’s face.
“Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“What wasn’t?”
“All of it.”
Khloe stared.
“The money?”
Aubrey’s eyes filled.
“I didn’t know what Derek was really doing at first.”
“You took almost two million dollars.”
Her face collapsed.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
Aubrey backed away.
Khloe’s anger broke through.
“Dad raised you.”
“I know.”
“He paid for everything.”
“I know!”
“Then why?”
Aubrey’s voice cracked.
“Because I spent my entire life being his almost-daughter.”
Khloe went silent.
Aubrey wiped her cheek.
“You were always Khloe Harrison. His real daughter. The heir. The future. I was the girl whose mother married the rich widower.”
“My father loved you.”
“But he never trusted me with the company.”
“Maybe because you stole from it.”
Aubrey flinched.
Khloe immediately hated how much the sentence sounded like a weapon.
But it was true.
Aubrey whispered, “Derek told me Dad intended to leave me nothing.”
“So you helped him?”
“I helped create two vendor companies. I thought we were moving money temporarily before your father froze me out.”
“Temporarily?”
“I was going to put it back.”
Khloe laughed bitterly.
“People always say that after they steal.”
Aubrey’s eyes dropped.
Then Khloe asked the question she was afraid to hear answered.
“What happened the morning Dad died?”
Aubrey went completely still.
Khloe’s throat tightened.
“Aubrey.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“Derek was.”
Her silence answered.
Khloe stepped closer.
“Was Derek with him?”
Aubrey whispered, “Yes.”
The bedroom door suddenly shook.
Derek.
“Khloe?”
Neither woman moved.
The handle rattled.
“Open the door.”
Aubrey looked terrified.
Khloe whispered, “What happened?”
“Dad confronted him.”
“Then?”
“I don’t know.”
The door shook again.
“Khloe!”
Aubrey grabbed her hand.
“He called me at 9:47.”
“Dad?”
“No.”
“Derek.”
Khloe felt cold.
“What did he say?”
Aubrey stared at her.
“He said your father had collapsed.”
Khloe’s breath caught.
“And?”
Aubrey began crying.
“He told me not to call an ambulance.”
The door slammed hard enough to shake the frame.
Khloe stared at her.
“What?”
“He said he had already called.”
“Did he?”
“I don’t know.”
Derek shouted from outside.
“Aubrey, open the damn door.”
Khloe backed away.
Her father’s official medical report said the emergency call had been placed at 10:06.
Nineteen minutes after Derek called Aubrey.
Nineteen minutes.
Khloe reached into the pocket of Roman’s coat.
Pressed the emergency button hidden inside.
Then she looked at Aubrey.
“Why did you never tell anyone?”
Aubrey was sobbing now.
“Because Derek said if I talked, the investigators would find the money.”
A crash came from downstairs.
Men shouting.
Derek spun toward the noise outside the bedroom.
A second later, the door opened.
Not because Derek broke it.
Because Khloe unlocked it.
He stood in the hallway.
Behind him, Roman Casso appeared at the top of the stairs.
Derek’s face changed.
Roman did not look at him.
He looked at Khloe.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Then Roman noticed Aubrey crying.
Khloe stepped into the hallway.
She did not hide behind him.
She looked directly at Derek.
“My father was alive for at least nineteen minutes after you knew he collapsed.”
Derek’s expression became unreadable.
Roman became very still.
May you like
Khloe continued.
“And I think you can finally explain what you were doing during those nineteen minutes.”
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