Chapter 11 - Preston’s Version
Preston surrendered to Detective Ortiz an hour later.
His attorney came with him.
Emily agreed to hear his statement through video.
She did not agree to forgive anything.
Preston looked terrible.
No tailored jacket.
No polished smile.
No executive confidence.
“I knew your family had money,” he began.
Emily almost laughed.
“You had an eighty-page file on me.”
“My father did.”
“And you read it.”
Preston looked down.
“Yes.”
“So you knew.”
“I knew why he wanted me to meet you.”
“And you did it anyway.”
“Yes.”
Emily’s voice remained steady.
“Then do not insult me by pretending you were innocent.”
Preston swallowed.
“I’m not.”
He looked toward Detective Ortiz.
“My father told me the hospital was being stolen from our family.”
Raymond spoke from beside Emily.
“It was never yours.”
“I know that now.”
Preston continued.
“At twenty-six, I believed him.”
“You married me at thirty.”
Emily’s words landed harder.
“You had four years to develop a conscience.”
Preston looked broken.
“I fell in love with you.”
Emily said nothing.
“I know you don’t believe me.”
“You let Vanessa kick me.”
His face twisted.
“I did.”
“And then you altered my chart.”
“Yes.”
“And deleted the footage.”
“Yes.”
“Love does not make those choices.”
Preston lowered his head.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Detective Ortiz asked.
“What changed recently?”
Preston rubbed both hands over his face.
“Northstar.”
He explained that Charles’s loans had become impossible to hide.
The Whitmore companies needed the old contracts to survive.
Emily’s vote would determine everything.
“My father wanted me to convince her to sign a proxy.”
“And when she refused?” Ortiz asked.
Preston looked at Emily.
“We were supposed to build a record that she was unstable.”
“Who is we?”
“My father.”
“Vanessa?”
“Yes.”
Emily felt sick.
“So the affair was part of it?”
Preston hesitated.
“No.”
That hesitation was enough.
Emily stared at him.
“Tell the truth once.”
Preston closed his eyes.
“Vanessa was originally hired as a consultant.”
“For what?”
“To get close to me.”
Emily almost smiled at the cruelty of the symmetry.
Charles had recruited Preston to manipulate Emily.
Then hired Vanessa to manipulate Preston.
Preston continued.
“She began feeding information to my father.”
“And sleeping with you.”
“Yes.”
Emily looked away.
Preston leaned toward the screen.
“Emily, I never agreed to hurt the baby.”
“But you knew about the competency plan.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Vanessa was going to confront me.”
“Yes.”
“You watched her raise her foot.”
His eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Emily’s voice dropped.
“And you did nothing.”
Preston could not answer.
Then Detective Ortiz placed a photograph on the table.
“Mr. Whitmore, do you recognize this man?”
Preston looked.
His entire face changed.
“Yes.”
“Who is he?”
May you like
Preston stared toward the camera.
“That is the doctor my father hired to declare Emily incompetent.”
