Chapter 4 - Project Heir
The room they used belonged to Margaret.
Cassidy found that fitting.
Her former mother-in-law’s private library became the place where Margaret learned how much of the family plan existed on paper.
Mara projected the documents onto the wall.
Project Heir.
The title alone made Cassidy feel sick.
The file contained medical records.
Some real.
Some false.
A psychological profile of Cassidy.
A draft custody petition.
A trust flowchart.
And a proposed emergency guardianship order.
Cassidy stared.
“What trust?”
Daniel answered.
“Your grandfather’s succession trust.”
Cassidy knew it well.
If she died or became legally incapacitated before her child turned eighteen, part of her Halcyon voting block transferred temporarily into a child-benefit trust.
Guardian participation could influence certain votes.
Not total control.
But enough to matter during a board dispute.
Mara pointed at the chart.
“If Brendan gained sole guardianship while the child was a minor, he could potentially exercise indirect influence over seventeen percent of Halcyon shares.”
Brendan stood.
“This is ridiculous.”
Cassidy looked at him.
“Is it?”
“I never made this.”
Mara clicked document properties.
Author.
B. HOLLOWAY.
Brendan stared.
“That could be anyone.”
Daniel almost laughed.
“It was created on your company laptop.”
Silence.
Brendan looked toward Serena.
She looked away.
Cassidy noticed.
“What do you know?”
Serena shook her head.
“Nothing.”
Cassidy stepped closer.
“You were paid through a company tied to Project Heir.”
Serena’s mouth tightened.
“I handled introductions.”
“To whom?”
“No one.”
Mara spoke.
“Serena.”
Her tone was calm.
“You are not under arrest.”
“Yet.”
Serena looked at Brendan.
Then Margaret.
Nobody moved to help her.
That was when Cassidy saw it happen.
The exact moment Serena understood the Holloways would sacrifice her first.
She sat.
“There was an attorney.”
Mara leaned forward.
“Name?”
“Victor Lang.”
Cassidy recognized it.
Deputy general counsel at Halcyon.
Someone inside her company.
There it was.
The insider.
Serena continued.
“Victor said Cassidy’s trust structure created risk.”
“What kind of risk?”
“He said if Cassidy ever divorced Brendan, Halcyon could cut the Holloways off.”
Margaret answered bitterly.
“Which she did.”
Cassidy looked at her.
“After you poured filthy water over me.”
Margaret said nothing.
Serena continued.
“Victor thought the baby changed leverage.”
Cassidy’s stomach tightened.
“What did he want?”
“Medical documentation.”
“Something showing pregnancy stress.”
“Emotional instability.”
“Anything that could support emergency guardianship later.”
Brendan exploded.
“I never agreed to take her baby.”
Serena stared at him.
“You approved the plan.”
“I approved legal contingency work.”
Cassidy looked at him.
“That sentence is not helping.”
Then Daniel opened the psychological file.
It contained notes about Cassidy’s “episodes.”
Panic.
Paranoia.
Aggressive emotional reactions.
Cassidy frowned.
“I’ve never had any of these.”
Mara looked at the source.
Then went still.
May you like
“Dr. Elaine Porter.”
Cassidy’s obstetrician.
