Chapter 4 - The House Account

By noon, Pacific Harbor Freight had lost more than clients.

It had lost certainty.

The company was privately held, but private companies still depended on banks, insurers, port contracts, credit facilities, and trust.

One false allegation could be denied.

A pattern could become a crisis.

From her hospital room, Brooke watched her father's empire enter one.

Walter stood by the window taking calls.

"No statements without counsel."

Pause.

"No, Martin, don't call Meridian."

Pause.

"I don't care who leaked it. Freeze document destruction companywide."

He ended the call.

Brooke watched him.

"You sound like you did when Mom was sick."

Walter turned.

"What does that mean?"

"Like if you give enough orders, nothing can die."

His expression softened.

"That was unfair."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

Walter looked almost startled.

Brooke smiled faintly.

"Two apologies in twenty-four hours. Are you ill?"

"Don't push it."

For a moment, they almost felt like themselves.

Then Evelyn entered carrying a laptop.

"We have the bank records Brooke requested."

Brooke sat straighter.

Her divorce attorney had moved quickly, securing electronic access to statements from accounts bearing Brooke's name.

The joint household account showed the sequence clearly.

April 2: $155,000 incoming.

April 3: $155,000 outgoing to Beacon Communications.

But the incoming transfer did not originate directly from Pacific Harbor.

It came from Garrett's personal account.

Evelyn tapped the screen.

"And Garrett's account received $155,000 from Pacific Harbor the previous day."

Walter folded his arms.

"Textbook pass-through."

"Not necessarily criminal by itself," Evelyn cautioned. "But deceptive."

Brooke pointed at the outgoing transfer.

"My name isn't on this authorization."

"No."

"How did he send it?"

"Online banking."

"He must have used my login."

"Possibly."

Brooke's mouth went dry.

Years earlier, when Garrett had taken over household finances, she had given him her password.

Later, when the bank required multifactor authentication, he convinced her to add his number as an alternate device.

She remembered him smiling.

It'll make things easier.

Brooke whispered, "I gave him the key."

Walter immediately said, "That doesn't make this your fault."

She looked at him.

"I'm not asking to be comforted."

Walter nodded.

"Fair."

Evelyn scrolled.

"There are four smaller transfers to Beacon."

Brooke leaned closer.

$18,500.

$22,000.

$41,000.

$37,500.

"From us?"

"Two from the joint account. Two from Garrett personally."

Walter's eyes narrowed.

"Total?"

"Two hundred seventy-four thousand."

Brooke felt the number like pressure behind her ribs.

"How did I miss that?"

Evelyn answered without judgment.

"The transfers were timed around larger household movements. Tax payments. Brokerage transfers. Mortgage payments."

Brooke understood.

Garrett had hidden theft inside ordinary wealth.

People imagined rich families noticed every dollar.

Often the opposite was true.

When dozens of transactions moved every month, a dishonest person could bury a knife inside paperwork.

Brooke asked, "What did Beacon buy?"

"We don't know yet."

Walter stared at the news article.

"I have a theory."

Evelyn looked at him.

"Meridian."

Brooke frowned.

"The competitor?"

"They approached me last year."

"For what?"

"To buy Pacific Harbor."

Brooke stared.

"You never told me."

"I didn't tell anyone outside the board."

"Garrett?"

"He knew discussions occurred. He didn't know details."

Walter paced.

"Meridian offered four point two billion."

Brooke blinked.

Even growing up around the company, she rarely heard its valuation stated aloud.

"And you refused?"

"Immediately."

"Why?"

"Because they planned to break it apart."

Evelyn added, "Sell terminals. Cut union routes. Move some operations offshore."

Walter nodded.

"Thousands of jobs disappear."

Brooke thought about Garrett.

"What would he get?"

"If Meridian bought us?"

"Yes."

Walter's expression hardened.

"Potentially nothing."

"Why?"

"Change-of-control bonuses apply only to certain executives."

"Not Garrett?"

"No."

A thought formed.

"Unless someone promised him something privately."

No one answered.

Brooke knew she was right.

Her phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

She hesitated.

Then answered.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?"

A woman's voice.

"Brooke?"

Kendra.

Brooke's body went cold.

Walter immediately looked at her.

Brooke raised a hand.

"Yes."

"I need to talk to you."

"You already signed enough things with my husband."

Kendra inhaled.

"I know what this looks like."

Brooke almost laughed.

"You had his son."

Silence.

Then, "Garrett told you?"

"He announced it while I was in labor."

"Oh."

That single syllable carried something Brooke did not expect.

Disgust.

Not triumph.

Kendra continued.

"I didn't know he would do that."

"You expected a gentler betrayal?"

"I didn't call about us."

"Then why are you calling?"

"Beacon."

Walter moved closer.

Brooke switched to speaker.

Kendra heard the change.

"Is Walter there?"

"Yes."

A long pause.

"Then maybe this is better."

Walter spoke.

"Kendra."

"Mr. Prescott."

"What did Beacon do with my company's money?"

"It wasn't supposed to be company money."

Evelyn frowned.

Brooke asked, "What does that mean?"

"Garrett told me the $155,000 came from his personal investment account."

"It didn't."

Kendra went silent.

Brooke continued.

"It came from Pacific Harbor, through Garrett, through our joint account, then to your company."

Kendra whispered something Brooke couldn't hear.

Walter leaned toward the phone.

"What was the money for?"

"No."

"Kendra."

"I can't do this over the phone."

"You called us."

"Because Garrett is panicking."

Brooke's pulse quickened.

"About what?"

Kendra began speaking faster.

"He told me to delete the Beacon files this morning."

Evelyn immediately said, "Do not delete anything."

"I didn't."

"Back them up."

"I already did."

Walter exchanged a look with Evelyn.

Brooke said, "What's in them?"

Kendra hesitated.

Then answered.

"Research."

"What kind?"

"Media contacts. Opposition files. Financial pressure points."

"Against my father?"

"Some."

Brooke's hand tightened around the phone.

"What else?"

Kendra became quiet.

"Against you."

The room seemed to shrink.

"Me?"

"Garrett had Beacon build a personal dossier."

Brooke stared at nothing.

"What was he looking for?"

"Anything he could use in a divorce."

Walter's face turned murderous.

Kendra continued.

"Therapy records. Prescription history. Old photographs. Arguments with your father. Every time you drank at a charity event."

Brooke felt nauseated.

"He was preparing for this?"

"For at least ten months."

Her daughters were one day old.

Garrett had been planning to take her apart before they were born.

Brooke asked the only question that mattered.

"Why?"

Kendra's answer came almost as a whisper.

"Because the divorce was never the main plan."

"What was?"

There was a sound on Kendra's end.

A door.

Then Garrett's voice in the distance.

"Kendra?"

She gasped.

May you like

92 The Girl They Called Broke Was a Billionaire’s Daughter—But Her Fathe...

91 A Cruel Hotel Manager Fired a Receptionist for Defending a Poor Old G...

90 On Christmas Eve, My Daughter-in-Law Stole $12,000 From My Card—Then...

The line went dead.

---