Chapter 10 - Her Father's Voice
Emily nearly dropped the recorder.
"That's impossible," Nora whispered.
Robert's recording continued.
"Henry's son is young, but Gloria has been preparing him to inherit everything. She has shown him the Carter agreement. She believes that if my shares can be separated from my estate, no one will ever challenge the transfer."
Emily covered her mouth.
Daniel had been nineteen when her father died.
Old enough to know.
The recording crackled.
"I confronted Gloria tonight. She denied altering the accounts. Tomorrow morning I'm meeting Henry alone. If anything happens before then, look at the marina fuel records and the maintenance report on my boat."
Robert paused.
His next words were softer.
"Emmy, I'm sorry. I should have kept business farther away from you. Whatever you find, don't let money convince you that cruelty is love. People will call control protection when they are afraid you'll leave. Leave anyway."
Emily started crying.
Not loudly.
Rachel waited before speaking.
"We need copies of everything and a forensic review."
The bank manager scanned the documents from the box.
The sealed letter contained the original Mercer-Carter investment agreement.
Thirty percent.
Anti-dilution protection.
Rachel read it twice.
"If this is valid, they didn't just use your trust. They may have concealed your ownership in the company."
Every dinner where Daniel joked that she had "married up."
All while they were living partly on money stolen from her father.
Rachel's phone rang.
"That was my office. We pulled the current property records. The deed Henry showed you is real and was recorded six weeks ago."
Emily exhaled.
"So the house is mine."
"Yes. But there's a problem."
"What?"
"A new mortgage was recorded against it nine days ago. Eight million dollars."
Emily stared at her.
"I didn't borrow eight million dollars."
"The lender has a notarized authorization with your signature."
Nora swore.
Emily felt suddenly calm.
"Who received the money?"
Rachel turned the screen toward her.
The borrower was a holding company.
Mercer Strategic Partners.
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Its managing member was Daniel.
And the notary who certified Emily's forged signature had the same last name as Gloria.
