Chapter 4
I had known Adrian Price for nine years.
I hired him after a glowing recommendation from a respected industry colleague.
He had impressive credentials, a polished manner, and an extraordinary ability to make problems disappear.
When my husband died, Adrian handled several difficult business negotiations.
He attended James's funeral.
He brought food to my house.
He even called Naomi every week during her first year at law school.
I had considered him family.
Now he was standing in my manager's office, suggesting I had lost my memory.
“What did you say?” I asked.
Adrian spread his hands.
“Evelyn, there's no need to get upset.”
“Repeat it.”
He sighed.
“You've been under enormous pressure. Everybody knows that.”
Naomi stepped forward.
“My mother's health is not under discussion.”
Adrian gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Naomi, I understand how protective you are.”
“Then understand this. We have financial records requiring an explanation.”
He glanced at the auditors.
“Who authorized these people to review confidential accounts?”
“I did,” I answered.
He stared at me.
“You should have consulted the board first.”
“I am the majority owner and chairwoman.”
His smile vanished.
For a moment, I saw something ugly behind his composed expression.
Then he reached into his briefcase.
“Perhaps you should read this.”
He handed me a document.
It was a formal assessment recommending that I temporarily surrender executive authority because of concerns about my judgment.
My name appeared throughout its pages.
So did accounts of meetings I supposedly forgot.
Financial decisions I allegedly couldn't explain.
Confused remarks I had supposedly made.
At the bottom were signatures from three senior executives.
One belonged to Adrian.
Another belonged to our finance director.
The third made my heart stumble.
Julian Carter.
My son.
I stared at the signature.
Julian was thirty-two.
He had joined the company five years earlier and managed our commercial properties.
He was intelligent and ambitious, but we had disagreed about expansion plans.
I loved him fiercely.
And I trusted him.
“Where did you get this?” I demanded.
Adrian folded his arms.
“Your son asked me to help.”
I looked at Naomi.
Her face was pale.
“That's not possible,” she whispered.
Adrian continued.
“Julian is concerned about your health. So am I.”
“You're concerned about controlling my company.”
“Now that's unfair.”
He pointed toward my cleaning uniform.
“Look at yourself, Evelyn. You're pretending to be a janitor and secretly investigating employees. Does that seem normal?”
I felt the insult strike harder than anything Vanessa had said.
Because Adrian knew exactly why I respected cleaning workers.
He knew my father's story.
He had listened to me speak about it at company events.
And still, he was using that history to make me appear unstable.
“Leave this office,” I said.
Adrian shook his head.
“I can't do that.”
“I'm telling you to leave.”
“Until the board reviews your condition, I have operational responsibilities.”
Naomi opened her phone.
“I'm calling our outside counsel.”
Adrian's expression sharpened.
“That would be a mistake.”
“Why?”
“Because you'll embarrass your mother.”
The room became completely silent.
I looked at my daughter.
She was holding back tears.
Not because she believed Adrian.
Because she finally understood how far he was willing to go.
I took the document from my hand and placed it carefully on the desk.
“Adrian, did Julian sign this in your presence?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“At headquarters.”
“When?”
“Last Thursday.”
I nodded.
That was all I needed.
Last Thursday, Julian had been in Charleston attending a property conference.
He had called me from his hotel that evening.
I remembered because we argued about an investment proposal.
If Adrian was telling the truth, there might be an innocent explanation.
But I needed to hear it from my son.
I dialed Julian.
He answered after several rings.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Where are you?”
“In a meeting.”
“I need you at the flagship boutique.”
“Why?”
“Your signature is on a document questioning my ability to run the company.”
Silence.
Then a quiet breath.
“Mom—”
“Did you sign it?”
He didn't answer.
My throat tightened.
“Julian.”
“Yes.”
The word hit me like a blow.
Naomi covered her mouth.
Adrian looked almost satisfied.
I forced myself to remain steady.
“Come here. Now.”
I ended the call.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Adrian picked up his briefcase.
“I think it's best if we allow your family to handle this privately.”
“No,” I said.
He stopped.
“You stay.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Excuse me?”
“You made accusations in front of my employees. You'll answer questions in front of our lawyers.”
He looked toward Vanessa.
She stood motionless beside the filing cabinet.
“Vanessa, come with me.”
She didn't move.
“Vanessa.”
I watched her slowly raise her head.
Her eyes were red.
“I can't.”
Adrian froze.
“What?”
She swallowed.
“I can't keep doing this.”
His jaw tightened.
“Be careful.”
Vanessa turned toward me.
“Mrs. Carter, I need to tell you something.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“That's enough.”
Naomi moved between them.
“Don't threaten her.”
Vanessa burst into tears.
“He made me do terrible things.”
I didn't interrupt.
“He told me which employees to accuse. He sent the disciplinary paperwork. He made me sign everything.”
Adrian laughed harshly.
“That's ridiculous.”
Vanessa looked straight at him.
“You promised you'd protect my job.”
He stared at her.
She continued.
“You said if I didn't obey, you'd make sure my mother lost her medical coverage.”
I felt my anger shift into something heavier.
Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“My mother is receiving cancer treatment. I was terrified.”
I looked at her carefully.
Her fear was real.
But so were the people she had harmed.
Adrian suddenly reached for her arm.
“Come outside.”
Marcus appeared at the doorway.
“Sir, please step back.”
Adrian stopped.
My phone vibrated.
A message from Julian.
I'm on my way. Mom, please don't trust Adrian.
I read it twice.
Then another message appeared.
I signed something, but it wasn't what he told me it was.
I looked at Adrian.
May you like
For the first time, he seemed genuinely nervous.
And I realized that whatever was happening inside my company had only begun to surface.
