68 The Night Her Husband Threw $250,000 on Her Hospital Bed, Brooke Discovered Two Heartbeats—and a $155,000 Betrayal That Could Destroy an Empire

Brooke returned to Pacific Harbor Freight headquarters carrying a breast pump in one bag and Garrett's forged psychiatric evaluation in another.

Five years earlier, she would have been embarrassed by that combination.

Now she found it clarifying.

Real life did not arrive in neat categories.

Motherhood.

Corporate fraud.

Divorce.

Betrayal.

Milk schedules.

Board politics.

Everything happened at once.

The special committee had asked her to appear as a witness.

Garrett would attend with counsel.

So would Martin.

Walter was excluded from the first portion because of conflict concerns.

Brooke preferred it that way.

For once, she would enter a room without being Walter Prescott's daughter first.

The conference table seemed absurdly long.

Garrett sat at the opposite end.

He looked thinner.

Still handsome.

Still composed.

But the polish had cracks now.

His lawyer whispered something.

Garrett ignored him.

"How are the girls?" he asked.

Brooke sat.

"Healthy."

"Can I see pictures?"

The question hit harder than she expected.

"No."

Pain crossed his face.

Real pain.

Brooke almost hated him more for that.

Samuel Reed began.

"Mrs. Hale, we're investigating possible misconduct related to Beacon Communications, Project Crown, client losses, and the unauthorized eight-million-dollar transfer."

Brooke nodded.

She described the hospital.

The check.

The separation agreement.

The $155,000 authorization.

Garrett's lawyer objected to characterization.

This was not court, Samuel reminded him.

Brooke continued.

Then Evelyn introduced the Beacon files.

Garrett denied creating Project Crown.

The forensic consultant presented metadata.

Garrett claimed compromise.

Then came the recording from the private club.

Garrett's face changed.

Martin looked at him.

That look lasted less than a second.

But Brooke saw it.

Fear.

Garrett's lawyer immediately demanded the recording be excluded from consideration until authenticated fully.

Samuel replied, "Authentication has been completed."

The room tightened.

Garrett looked toward Kendra's empty chair.

"She stole private recordings."

Evelyn said, "Interesting."

Garrett frowned.

"What's interesting?"

"You just acknowledged the recordings were yours."

His lawyer closed his eyes.

Garrett realized what he had done.

Brooke almost felt sorry for the lawyer.

Martin spoke suddenly.

"Garrett told me Walter approved the strategy."

Every head turned.

Garrett stared.

Martin continued.

"He said Walter wanted a controlled reputational crisis to pressure Meridian into improving its offer."

Walter's voice came from the doorway.

"That's a lie."

Everyone turned.

Samuel frowned.

"Walter, you were asked to wait."

Walter remained at the threshold.

"I know."

He looked at Martin.

"Say it to me."

Martin's face collapsed slightly.

"Not here."

"Thirty-one years."

"Don't."

"Thirty-one years and that's the best lie you have?"

Samuel ordered Walter out.

This time he left.

But the damage was done.

Martin's loyalty to Garrett was cracking.

Brooke saw it.

So did Garrett.

Evelyn introduced the $8 million transfer.

Martin claimed Garrett provided Walter's authorization.

Garrett denied it.

"You initiated the transfer."

"Based on your instruction."

"False."

"You gave me the token."

Brooke's pulse jumped.

Garrett's lawyer interrupted.

"My client categorically denies—"

Martin laughed.

It was an ugly sound.

"You said we'd be protected."

Garrett stared at him.

Samuel leaned forward.

"Mr. Cole, protected from what?"

Martin looked around the room.

Then at Garrett.

"Tell them."

Garrett said nothing.

Martin's hands trembled.

"He said the acquisition vehicle would reimburse the reserve before quarter close."

Evelyn spoke carefully.

"So you knew eight million dollars was being transferred without valid board authorization?"

Martin looked down.

"I thought it was temporary."

Samuel's expression hardened.

"To an entity connected to a potential management transaction?"

Martin closed his eyes.

"Yes."

The room became silent.

Garrett's lawyer whispered urgently.

Garrett stood.

"We're done."

Samuel said, "Sit down."

"This isn't a court."

"No. But your employment agreement requires cooperation with internal investigations."

Garrett remained standing.

Brooke spoke.

"Why did you file the fake psychiatric report?"

He turned.

The confidence vanished from his face.

"What?"

Brooke placed the document on the table.

Garrett stared.

"That wasn't prepared by me."

"It was submitted with your sworn declaration."

"My family lawyer handled the filing."

"Did your family lawyer invent a doctor?"

Garrett said nothing.

Brooke continued.

"The report claims I was evaluated on July 14."

He looked away.

"I don't know."

"I was at a maternal-fetal medicine clinic in Vermont that entire day."

Garrett's lawyer stood.

"Do not answer."

Too late again.

Garrett had known.

Brooke could see it.

She leaned forward.

"You built a file on me for ten months."

Silence.

"You planned to use childbirth to pressure me."

Silence.

"You stole money through our household account."

Silence.

"You tried to destroy my father."

Garrett finally exploded.

"Your father was destroying everything himself!"

The room froze.

There he was.

The man beneath the suit.

Brooke stared calmly.

Garrett pointed toward the door Walter had exited through.

"He built a company nobody could inherit because he never trusted anyone enough to let go. He humiliated me for years. Every promotion came with the question of whether I earned it or married it."

"So you proved him right?"

Garrett's face twisted.

"I built half the sales growth in this company."

"And that entitled you to own it?"

"I deserved a future that wasn't dependent on Walter deciding whether I was family."

Brooke felt something break inside her.

Not love.

That had broken in the hospital.

This was the last illusion.

Garrett had spent years telling her he hated being measured by the Prescott name.

In truth, he had wanted the name's power.

Brooke said softly, "You could have left."