Chapter 14 - The Deadline
By October 16, one day remained before Victor's emergency shareholders' vote.
The audit committee had enough concerns to challenge the sale, but Victor's lawyers insisted every transaction was authorized.
Rachel sought a temporary restraining order based on fraud and irreparable harm.
The court scheduled an expedited hearing for the next morning.
We assembled financial records, verified video, sworn testimony, and authenticated messages.
Rachel refused to overstate anything.
“If we make one claim we can't support, Victor will attack the whole case,” she warned.
The district attorney pursued a separate criminal investigation.
The two proceedings could assist each other, but they had different burdens and different goals.
My job was to tell the truth and keep my children out of the spectacle.
Ethan had been discharged after treatment.
Emma still needed follow-up care, though her doctors were optimistic about recovery.
We moved into my sister's guesthouse rather than return to Sarah's home.
On the first night Ethan asked whether the refrigerator could be locked.
“Why would we lock it?” I asked.
“So nobody can take the food.”
I sat with him at the kitchen table until he was satisfied the food would stay.
At midnight, a courier delivered a letter from Victor's attorneys.
They claimed I had stolen private business documents and demanded the immediate surrender of all copies.
Rachel laughed once without humor.
“They're scared of the drive.”
I was about to turn off my phone when a message came from an unknown number.
Come to the warehouse alone if you want the original recording.
A location followed.
Then a picture of the red metal recipe box.
I forwarded everything to Ortiz.
“Do not go,” she said.
“I wasn't planning to.”
She arranged surveillance instead.
At the warehouse officers found no Victor.
They did find an empty office with monitors showing the hospital and my sister's street.
Claire's security company had been watching us for days.
The discovery forced another protective move.
And just before dawn, Rachel called.
The court hearing had been moved up.
Victor's team was already inside the courthouse.
They were asking the judge to disqualify our evidence.
Then Rachel lowered her voice.
“Daniel, Sarah is here.”
“She was supposed to testify tomorrow.”
“She's not here for us,” Rachel said.
May you like
“She's sitting beside Victor.”
