Chapter 7 - MY FATHER’S CONFESSION.
My father arrived at headquarters shortly after midnight.
He looked older than he had at dinner.
The confidence behind his earlier insult was gone.
He sat across from me in the conference room.
Grandma Eleanor remained beside me.
Marcus stood near the door.
My father placed both hands on the table.
“Before you started Apex, Natalie came to me.”
I frowned.
“I did not know Natalie before Apex.”
“You did not.”
“But I did.”
He explained that Natalie’s late father had once been his business partner.
The two men had owned a small maintenance company.
My father handled clients while Natalie’s father managed operations.
The company failed after my father secretly withdrew money to cover gambling debts.
Natalie’s father took the blame.
He lost his home.
He died five years later believing my father had destroyed him.
Grandma Eleanor stared at her son.
“Is this true?”
My father lowered his head.
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
“Why did Natalie join my company?”
“To get close to you.”
“She believed your early contracts were purchased with money I had stolen from her father.”
“They were not,” I said.
“I know.”
My father’s voice cracked.
“But I never told her.”
“Why?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
The photograph from the restaurant suddenly made sense.
“She confronted you three months ago.”
He nodded.
“She demanded money.”
“She threatened to expose the past and destroy Apex.”
“I met her because I wanted to stop her.”
“Did you pay her?”
My father stared at the table.
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand dollars.”
Marcus swore under his breath.
My father continued.
“She said it was compensation for her family.”
“But she did not stop.”
“She wanted ownership in Apex.”
“She believed part of your success belonged to her.”
I stood.
“No part of my success belongs to either of you.”
My father flinched.
“You created this problem, hid it from me, and paid her using money you did not have.”
He looked up.
“The mortgage payment you made for us freed enough equity for me to borrow against the house.”
I finally understood.
The gift I had secretly given my parents had financed the person trying to destroy me.
My father began to cry.
“I am sorry.”
I shook my head.
“Your apologies keep arriving after someone else pays the price.”
Marcus’s phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
Then he looked at me.
May you like
“Natalie just entered the county hospital.”
“She has access to the sterilization control system.”
