Chapter 9 - THE THIRD FOUNDER
The flash drive changed everything.
It contained records Ethan had copied from Thomas’s private accounts.
Payments.
Encrypted emails.
Property transfers.
One document showed Northstar Capital had three original beneficiaries.
Thomas Bennett.
Michael Cole.
And R.B.
Mary stared at the initials.
“Richard Bennett?”
Daniel shook his head.
“The formation date makes that unlikely.”
Mary looked through old family records.
R.B. appeared nowhere.
Then Olivia found a shareholder memorandum from thirty-two years earlier.
Rebecca Bennett.
Mary’s grandmother.
Mary sat back.
“That’s impossible.”
Rebecca Bennett had died when Mary was eleven.
Family stories described her as the woman who helped Mary’s grandfather build the original company.
But she had supposedly retired before Northstar was created.
Daniel read the document twice.
“What if Northstar wasn’t originally criminal?”
Mary looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“What if Rebecca created it for a legitimate reason?”
They searched older archives.
By evening, they found the truth.
Northstar Capital had originally been an emergency asset protection fund.
Rebecca Bennett created it after a hostile takeover attempt nearly destroyed the family business.
Its purpose was simple.
If Bennett Holdings ever collapsed, Northstar could buy distressed company assets and preserve them for the family.
Rebecca had trusted Thomas to administer it.
Thomas had transformed that protection into a weapon.
Mary suddenly understood the entire plan.
“He isn’t trying to steal the company.”
Olivia frowned.
“He’s been stealing for years.”
“No.”
Mary stood and pointed at the debt records.
“He’s trying to bankrupt Bennett Holdings.”
Daniel followed her reasoning.
“Then Northstar buys the assets.”
“And Thomas owns Northstar.”
Olivia whispered, “He could take the entire company without technically stealing it.”
Mary looked at the third beneficiary clause.
But Thomas had a problem.
Rebecca Bennett had included a control provision.
If fraud by an administrator was proven, ownership of Northstar automatically transferred to Rebecca’s direct descendant.
Mary.
That was why Thomas needed the original agreement destroyed.
And that was why he needed Eleanor.
Mary’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
Her mother’s voice came through.
“Mary.”
“Mom, where are you?”
“I’m all right.”
“Put Thomas on.”
“He isn’t here.”
Mary stood.
“What?”
“He left me in a house.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you see anything?”
Eleanor walked toward a window.
“Water.”
“What else?”
“A red lighthouse.”
Daniel immediately began searching maps.
Eleanor lowered her voice.
“Mary, listen.”
“What?”
“Thomas kept asking about the agreement.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Yes.”
Mary closed her eyes.
“Where?”
Eleanor started to answer.
Then glass shattered on her end of the call.
A door slammed.
May you like
Eleanor screamed.
The connection went dead.
