Chapter 4 - What Was Supposed to Happen After Our Anniversary
My company lawyer arrived before noon.
Her name was Grace Holloway.
She had worked with Ryan and me for six years.
When she walked into my hospital room, she looked terrified.
“Elena.”
She said.
“We have a serious problem.”
Apparently, Ryan had spent the previous two weeks preparing documents.
Board resolutions.
Bank authorizations.
Corporate voting changes.
A temporary medical proxy.
Several required my signature.
Grace had refused to process them because she had not seen me sign.
Ryan told her I was traveling.
He promised I would approve everything after our anniversary.
“What would those documents do?”
I asked.
Grace sat down.
“Transfer operational control of Carter Urban Development to Ryan for twelve months.”
My mouth went dry.
I owned fifty-one percent of the company.
Ryan owned thirty-nine.
The remaining ten percent belonged to early investors.
He could not control the company without me.
Unless I transferred authority.
“I never agreed.”
“I know.”
Grace said.
“That’s why nothing was filed.”
“But he kept pushing.”
My father was standing near the window.
He said nothing.
He did not need to.
His face had gone completely still.
Grace continued.
“There’s more.”
Of course there was.
Ryan had recently created a new company.
Carter Metropolitan Holdings.
I had never heard of it.
He controlled ninety percent.
Madeline controlled ten.
Several future development contracts were being redirected toward that company.
My projects.
My architects.
My investors.
My husband had been preparing to hollow out the company we built together.
“And the downtown project?”
I asked.
Grace looked at me carefully.
“It was supposed to become the first major contract under the new entity.”
I finally understood Ryan’s panic.
When I slapped Madeline, I had not simply confronted his affair.
I threatened the business arrangement behind it.
Her father controlled zoning influence.
Madeline would receive equity.
Ryan would receive control.
And I was supposed to become irrelevant.
“How?”
I asked.
Grace looked confused.
“How what?”
“How was I supposed to lose control?”
She hesitated.
“There was a medical leave resolution.”
My blood turned cold.
“Medical leave?”
Ryan had drafted a document stating I was temporarily unable to fulfill my duties because of a serious health condition.
But I had no serious health condition.
Until last night.
I looked toward Detective Mitchell.
“Was my fall planned?”
She did not answer immediately.
“We don’t know.”
That was almost worse.
Then my phone buzzed on the hospital table.
A message from an unknown number.
I opened it.
ONE ACCIDENT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN THIS EARLY.
I showed the detective.
She stared at the screen.
Then she looked at me.
“Elena.”
“What?”
May you like
“Do not delete that.”
Because apparently my staircase was not the first accident someone had planned for me.
