Chapter 6 - The Company He Meant to Break

Brooke left St. Catherine's two days later with Grace and June bundled against the November cold.

Photographers waited outside.

Nobody had told them.

Which meant someone had.

"Mrs. Hale!"

"Brooke, did your father misuse company funds?"

"Is Garrett being fired?"

"Are you divorcing?"

Walter's security team formed a path toward the black SUV.

Brooke kept her head down.

Then a reporter shouted, "Did Garrett leave you during labor?"

Brooke stopped.

Walter murmured, "Keep walking."

She almost did.

Then she looked directly at the cameras.

"My children were born healthy. That's all I'm discussing today."

"Are there twins?"

Brooke opened the car door.

"Yes."

The shutters erupted.

Within an hour, the twins were news.

Not because Brooke wanted them to be.

Because scandal converted private life into public property.

At the townhouse, she found flowers filling the foyer.

Some from friends.

Some from strangers.

One arrangement had no card.

White roses.

Brooke told security to throw them away.

That afternoon, Pacific Harbor's emergency board meeting began.

Brooke was not a director.

She had inherited nonvoting economic shares from her mother and a small voting interest held through a trust, but she had never wanted a role in the company.

Garrett used to praise that decision.

You're the only Prescott who understands there is life outside shipping.

Now she understood why.

Walter joined the meeting by secure video from Brooke's study.

Evelyn sat beside him.

Brooke remained outside until Evelyn opened the door.

"Walter wants you in."

"Why?"

"Because Garrett mentioned you."

Brooke entered.

Nine faces appeared on the screen.

Directors.

CFO Martin Cole.

Garrett.

Garrett looked immaculate.

As if he had not detonated a marriage three days earlier.

"Brooke," he said.

She ignored him.

The independent board chair, Samuel Reed, cleared his throat.

"Mrs. Hale, Mr. Hale has asserted that recent actions against him are motivated by a family dispute."

Brooke sat.

"Then ask me about the family dispute."

Garrett leaned forward.

"This is inappropriate."

She looked at him.

"So was serving divorce papers during labor."

Silence.

One director removed his glasses.

Brooke continued.

"Garrett gave me a $250,000 cashier's check and demanded I sign broad financial waivers while I was ten centimeters dilated."

Garrett interrupted.

"That was a private settlement discussion."

"It also included pressure concerning our child's surname and financial rights."

"My counsel drafted—"

"Your counsel wasn't in the room."

Samuel Reed raised a hand.

"Enough."

Brooke looked at the screen.

"There's more."

Evelyn shared the Beacon authorization.

Garrett's face remained controlled.

"That was legitimate consulting work."

"Paid through Brooke's household account?" Evelyn asked.

"A reimbursement mechanism."

"Why?"

"Speed."

Walter finally spoke.

"You moved company reimbursement through my daughter's account to a vendor secretly owned by your mistress."

Garrett's face hardened.

"Allegedly owned."

Evelyn shared Delaware filings.

"Beneficial ownership records disagree."

Garrett looked at Kendra's name and said nothing.

Martin Cole spoke.

"I approved the reimbursement based on Garrett's certification."

Walter looked at him.

"What client were we retaining?"

Martin swallowed.

"Garrett claimed confidentiality."

A director frowned.

"You approved $155,000 with no client identity?"

"Under discretionary sales authority."

Garrett leaned toward the camera.

"Which Walter approved years ago."

Brooke understood his strategy.

Spread responsibility.

Make every failure institutional.

If everyone was guilty of carelessness, Garrett could hide deliberate misconduct inside it.

Evelyn shared Project Crown.

Garrett's expression finally cracked.

Only slightly.

Samuel Reed read the projected sequence.

"Reputational event. Lender review. Strategic acquisition."

Garrett said, "I have never seen this."

"Metadata shows it was created on your company laptop," Evelyn replied.

"Then someone planted it."

"Your login."

"Stolen."

"Your device."

"Compromised."

"Edits occurred while the device was connected to your home network."

Garrett looked at Brooke.

That was his mistake.

Everyone saw it.

Brooke's voice remained quiet.

"You told me I didn't understand what was happening at Pacific Harbor."

Garrett said nothing.

"Now I do."

Samuel Reed called for a recess.

Walter muted the meeting.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Then Brooke asked, "Will they remove him?"

Walter understood she meant Garrett.

"They should."

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed.

"I don't know."

Corporate boards did not operate like revenge fantasies.

Evidence had to be verified.

Executives had contracts.

Independent directors had fiduciary obligations.

A father accusing his daughter's husband presented obvious conflicts.

Everything needed process.

That was exactly what Garrett had counted on.

Evelyn received a call.

She stepped out.

When she returned, her face was grim.

"Meridian just submitted a formal acquisition proposal."

Walter went still.

"Price?"

"Three point one billion."

Brooke stared.

A year earlier, Meridian had offered $4.2 billion.

The manufactured crisis had wiped more than a billion dollars from their valuation.

"Timing?" Walter asked.

"Offer expires in ten days."

He gave a humorless smile.

"Of course."

The board reconvened.

Samuel Reed spoke carefully.

"Given the allegations against both Mr. Prescott and Mr. Hale, I'm proposing an independent special committee."

Walter said, "Agreed."

Garrett frowned.

Samuel continued.

"Until completion, Garrett Hale is suspended from financial and sales authority."

Brooke released a breath.

Then Samuel turned to Walter.

"Walter, you will also temporarily step back from decisions related to the Meridian proposal."

Walter's jaw tightened.

But he nodded.

Garrett smiled.

Tiny.

Almost invisible.

Brooke caught it.

He had lost authority.

But Walter had too.

Exactly what Project Crown required.

The meeting ended.

Brooke stared at the black screen.

"He wanted both of you sidelined."

Evelyn nodded.

"And now he has it."

Walter walked to the window.

"Not entirely."

Brooke looked at him.

"What?"

Walter turned.

"Meridian doesn't know about you."

Brooke almost laughed.

"I'm on maternity leave from a life I haven't figured out yet."

"You worked strategy at Pacific Harbor for six years."

"Seven years ago."

"You still understand the company better than half that board."

"No."

"Brooke—"

"No."

She stood.

"I will not become your weapon against my husband."

Walter's expression changed.

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Then what are you asking?"

Before he could answer, Grace began crying upstairs.

Then June joined her.

Brooke closed her eyes.

Two babies.

A divorce.

A corporate conspiracy.

And a father who still believed problems could be solved by placing people where he wanted them.

"I have enough."

She walked toward the door.

Walter said behind her, "Garrett thinks you have nothing."

Brooke stopped.

"What?"

"He spent years convincing everyone you didn't care about Pacific Harbor. Including you."

She turned.

Walter's voice softened.

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"Maybe ask yourself why that mattered so much to him."

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