Chapter 8 - The Apology Nora Would Not Accept
Nora was released forty-eight hours later.
The theft charge did not disappear.
Ethan waited outside the courthouse.
Nora saw him and stopped.
He looked like he had not slept.
Good, she thought.
"Can we talk?"
"No."
"Nora-"
"You slapped me in front of your daughter."
His face tightened.
"I know."
"You didn't ask what happened. You didn't look at Sophie. You looked at the jewelry in my room, looked at your family, and decided I was exactly what they said I was."
"I was wrong."
"Yes."
There was no relief in her agreement.
Rachel stood a few feet away, pretending not to listen.
Ethan lowered his voice. "Sophie wants to see you."
Nora's anger cracked.
"Is she okay?"
"She's at St. Anne's. Outside doctors only."
"Good."
"They stopped the medication."
Nora closed her eyes briefly.
"Good."
"The microSD card-"
"Don't tell me where it is."
"I made copies."
She looked at him.
"Better."
Then Ethan said, "I'm sorry."
Nora's expression hardened again.
"You don't get to use sorry as a key and walk back into trust."
He absorbed that.
"Then tell me what I can do."
"Believe Sophie before you believe the company."
"I do."
"Now."
The word landed.
A black sedan stopped across the street.
Rachel's attention snapped toward it.
The rear window lowered.
Grant Callahan sat inside.
He looked directly at Nora.
Then at Ethan.
The window rose again.
The car pulled away.
Rachel checked her phone.
"We have a problem."
"What?" Ethan asked.
"Grant filed an emergency board petition twenty minutes ago."
"For what?"
She held up the screen.
The headline was already spreading through financial media.
CALLAHAN HOLDINGS DIRECTORS TO REVIEW CEO FITNESS AFTER CHILD-CUSTODY SCANDAL.
Nora looked at Ethan.
"They aren't just trying to bury me anymore."
Ethan read the article once.
Then again.
May you like
"No," he said quietly.
"They're trying to take the company before I can expose why they need Sophie's shares."
