Chapter 15 - THE BETRAYAL INSIDE HIS OWN FAMILY
Celeste surrendered the following morning.
She brought an attorney.
And a story none of us expected.
She had been at Richard’s house the night he died.
But not to kill him.
Richard had called her.
At the time, Celeste worked in strategic communications for one of Vale Meridian’s partners.
She was not dating Adrian yet.
Richard knew Helena and Vincent were stealing money.
He also knew his health was deteriorating.
He wanted someone outside the family to help protect Adrian.
Celeste agreed.
“What happened that night?” investigators asked.
“Richard gave me documents.”
“What documents?”
“Evidence.”
“Where are they?”
“I gave them to Vincent.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because he threatened my sister.”
Celeste looked ashamed.
Vincent knew her younger sister had a drug dependency.
He threatened to expose medical information, destroy her career, and frame her for theft.
Celeste surrendered the files.
Richard died hours later.
Vincent then forced Celeste closer to Adrian.
The relationship had begun as surveillance.
Then became real.
“At least for me,” she said.
Adrian remained silent.
“I did love you.”
“You also reported everything I did to Vincent.”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him about Eleanor?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell him my route?”
Her face collapsed.
“Yes.”
Adrian looked away.
“I didn’t know he would try to kill you.”
“But you knew he was dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“That distinction probably matters legally.”
His voice broke.
“It doesn’t matter much to me.”
Celeste accepted a cooperation agreement.
She would testify.
So would Julian.
Between them, prosecutors built a case against Vincent.
Helena remained missing.
Vale Meridian’s board meanwhile moved against Adrian.
Directors argued his amnesia rendered him incapable of continuing as chairman.
A temporary vote was scheduled.
The irony was impossible to miss.
Adrian survived murder.
Then his own company tried to remove him.
“Maybe let them,” I said.
He looked at me.
“You think I should walk away?”
“I think you need to decide whether you want the company or whether you just feel obligated to fix it.”
“That sounds like Eleanor.”
“She’s smart.”
“You’ve been talking.”
“Dangerous women communicate.”
He smiled.
But the question stayed.
What did Adrian actually want?
Two days before the board vote, he visited Julian in detention.
I waited outside.
When he returned, he looked lighter.
“What happened?”
“I forgave him.”
“For what?”
“Not everything.”
He opened the car door.
“I forgave him for not being the brother I imagined I should have had.”
“That sounds specific.”
“It was.”
“And did he forgive you?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Adrian looked surprised.
I shrugged.
“He gets to take his time.”
“You’re terrible at inspirational speeches.”
“I’m realistic.”
The night before the board meeting, Adrian called Eleanor.
“I’m transferring the forty-two percent.”
“You may lose control.”
“I know.”
“You may lose billions.”
“I know.”
“You may lose the board vote.”
“I know.”
“Then why now?”
Adrian looked across the room at me.
“Because waiting until it’s safe would mean I still believe doing the right thing should guarantee a reward.”
Eleanor said nothing.
Then:
“Your father never learned that.”
“I know.”
The documents were signed electronically at 11:58 p.m.
Eleanor Price became the largest individual shareholder in Vale Meridian Group.
Financial news exploded within minutes.
At midnight, Adrian stood beside the window.
“How much did I just give away?”
Daniel answered.
“Depending on tomorrow’s market reaction? Somewhere between 4.8 and 6.2 billion dollars.”
Adrian blinked.
“That’s inconvenient.”
I laughed.
Daniel did not.
“You may be removed tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“You could lose control of the company your family built.”
Adrian looked at him.
“My family didn’t build it alone.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
Then Adrian turned to me.
“What happens if I lose?”
“You wake up.”
“And?”
“You eat breakfast.”
“And?”
“You figure out what comes next.”
He smiled.
“That simple?”
“No.”
“Then why make it sound simple?”
“Because billionaires apparently require basic instructions.”
He kissed my forehead.
At 1:07 a.m., Marcus entered.
“We found Helena.”
Everyone stood.
“Where?”
Marcus placed a photograph on the table.
A private airstrip.
A woman boarding a plane.
Destination filed:
Argentina.
Departure scheduled:
6:00 a.m.
Adrian checked the clock.
Four hours away.
His board meeting began at nine.
He could chase his father’s killer.
Or fight for the company.
He could not do both.
May you like
I looked at him.
For the first time, the decision belonged entirely to the man Adrian Vale had become after forgetting who he used to be.
