Chapter 7 - Enjoy Your Trip
Graham Keller called Claire at 6:03 that evening.
Not through Asteron.
Directly.
Her private number.
Claire stood alone in her office while the city darkened outside.
She answered.
“Graham.”
A warm voice replied.
“Congratulations.”
“You hacked my sister?”
“Interesting opening.”
“It wasn’t a question.”
Graham laughed softly.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then this conversation will be short.”
“Claire, we haven’t spoken in over a year.”
“Fourteen months.”
“You always did keep records.”
“Occupational habit.”
He paused.
“Fifteen-point-two billion.”
Claire said nothing.
“I remember when you refused an eighty-million-dollar acquisition offer.”
“You told me I was insane.”
“I was wrong.”
“That must hurt.”
Another small laugh.
“You sound different.”
“I’m busy.”
“So am I.”
“Goodbye, Graham.”
“Northstar.”
Claire froze.
Silence filled the line.
Graham continued.
“That got your attention.”
Her voice became flat.
“What do you want?”
“Conversation.”
“You already have one.”
“In person.”
“No.”
“You’re still stubborn.”
“And you’re still dramatic.”
“Claire, Northstar is going to cause problems.”
“For whom?”
“You.”
“Why?”
“Because not everyone wants Asteron controlling that much infrastructure.”
Claire walked toward her desk.
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you.”
“About what?”
“Your board.”
The line went quiet.
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“What about my board?”
“You think the attack came from outside.”
She said nothing.
Graham lowered his voice.
“Look inside.”
Then he disconnected.
Claire immediately called Evelyn.
“Boardroom. Ten minutes.”
Within fifteen minutes, Maya, Evelyn, Leo and Claire were seated around a table.
Claire replayed the conversation.
Maya leaned back.
“Classic Keller.”
Evelyn asked, “Do we believe him?”
“No,” Claire said.
“But?”
Claire looked toward the city.
“We verify everything.”
Leo began reviewing internal activity.
Maya watched Claire.
“You’re distracted.”
“I’m thinking.”
“About Graham?”
Claire did not answer.
Maya’s expression softened.
“Your family?”
Claire looked at her.
“Both.”
“Bad week.”
“It’s Monday.”
“Exactly.”
Claire exhaled.
Her phone buzzed.
Mom.
Again.
Linda had called every day since commencement.
Claire had answered none.
Maya noticed.
“You can tell her to stop.”
“I could.”
“Or answer.”
Claire looked irritated.
“I don’t know what she wants.”
“You do.”
“To apologize?”
“To feel better.”
Claire stared at the phone.
Maya said, “Those aren’t always the same thing.”
Claire turned the screen over.
Meanwhile, Linda Bennett sat in the hotel lobby staring at the unanswered call.
Their Europe trip had been canceled.
Not officially because of Claire.
Linda told friends the delay had caused scheduling complications.
The truth was simpler.
After graduation, Paris felt grotesque.
She imagined herself drinking champagne while Claire’s speech replayed on screens everywhere.
Robert sat across from her.
“You need to stop calling.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“She knows.”
“She’s angry.”
“She has a right to be.”
Linda looked at him.
“You’re taking her side?”
Robert stared.
“This isn’t sides.”
“Then what is it?”
“Consequences.”
Linda looked away.
Robert had spent the past three days replaying memories.
Claire’s scholarship.
Her science competitions.
The time she came home from university for Thanksgiving and spent most of dinner answering work messages.
Robert had joked, “The freelance world never sleeps.”
Claire had only smiled.
He remembered asking Vanessa about a modeling collaboration ten minutes later.
He could not remember asking Claire a single follow-up question about work.
Not one.
That realization made him feel physically sick.
Vanessa entered the lobby after returning from Asteron.
Linda stood.
“Did you see her?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Yes.”
Linda rushed toward her.
“How is she?”
“Fine.”
“Did she ask about us?”
“No.”
Linda’s face fell.
“What did she say?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I’m not reporting her conversations back to you.”
“I’m her mother.”
“And she trusted me for about five minutes today.”
Linda stared.
Vanessa continued.
“I’m not ruining that.”
For years, Linda had encouraged Vanessa to share everything.
Family conversations.
Friends’ secrets.
Relationship drama.
Now her daughter was drawing a boundary.
Linda hated it.
But somewhere beneath the discomfort, she recognized something else.
Vanessa was changing.
And maybe Claire’s departure was forcing all of them to.
That night, Claire finally texted her mother.
Please stop calling every day. I need space. I will contact you if and when I’m ready.
Linda read it three times.
Her first instinct was to respond immediately.
To explain.
To defend.
To say she only wanted to apologize.
Robert stopped her.
“Don’t.”
“She needs to know—”
“She told you exactly what she needs.”
Linda stared at him.
“Space.”
“Yes.”
She placed the phone down.
For perhaps the first time in Claire’s life, Linda Bennett listened.
At Asteron, the internal investigation continued until 2 a.m.
Then Leo found something.
A board member had accessed Northstar documents forty-three minutes before Graham called.
That was not suspicious by itself.
The board had access.
But the download history showed something unusual.
The files had been exported.
Claire stared at the name.
VICTOR HALE
Asteron’s second-largest outside investor.
A man who had publicly praised Claire for three years.
Maya swore quietly.
Evelyn asked, “What now?”
Claire looked at the evidence.
“We don’t accuse him.”
“Why not?”
“Because Graham wants us suspicious.”
Claire closed the file.
“We watch.”
Leo nodded.
Claire continued.
“And nobody outside this room knows we found it.”
But what Claire did not know was that Victor Hale was already preparing his next move.
And this time, he did not intend to steal data.
May you like
He intended to take Asteron itself.
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