Chapter 12 - The Man Who Took the Blame|
Marcus swore he hadn't accessed the server.
Rachel believed he might be telling the truth, but belief was not proof. The login could have been stolen, shared, or used through a device left unattended.
The investigators needed the original access logs.
Marcus agreed to surrender his company laptop and phone for examination. He also provided the names of everyone who had access to his credentials.
Paige watched him sign the consent forms.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
He looked at her.
“If someone used my name to hide what they did, I want to know who.”
“Even if it was someone close to you?”
“Especially then.”
For the first time, Paige saw the outline of the man she had married—not the charming executive who could turn every difficult conversation into a negotiation, but the stubborn young man who had once spent an entire night helping a struggling employee prepare for a certification exam.
She did not confuse that memory with forgiveness.
But she allowed herself to notice it.
The investigation soon revealed that the server access originated from a device registered to Crown Harbor Services. Someone had copied several documents, including the original Lantern authorization.
The next discovery was worse.
The authorization had been used to open a secondary account in Paige's name.
That account had received a payment of $180,000.
Paige stared at the transaction record.
“I have never seen this money.”
Daniel nodded.
“The account was opened using your personal information. The funds moved out within forty-eight hours.”
“Where did they go?”
“To another holding company.”
“Can we trace it?”
“Some of the transfers, yes. But the money crossed several jurisdictions.”
Rachel explained that the account could have been part of a deliberate attempt to frame Paige. The evidence did not prove she was responsible, but it meant investigators would want a complete explanation.
Marcus stood and walked to the window.
“I'll tell them I authorized the account.”
Paige turned sharply.
“Did you?”
“No. But I was responsible for the company. I should have known what was happening.”
“That isn't the same as telling the truth.”
“If they need someone to hold accountable, I can take the responsibility.”
Rachel's voice became firm.
“Mr. Hale, do not make false statements to protect anyone. If you authorized something, we document it. If you didn't, we establish that through evidence.”
Marcus sat down again.
Paige watched him struggle with a truth he had avoided for years: responsibility was not a dramatic sacrifice made in a conference room. It was the tedious work of identifying exactly what you had done, what you had failed to do, and what you could no longer pretend not to know.
That evening, he asked to see the children.
Paige agreed to a supervised visit at a family center.
Owen arrived carrying a baseball glove. Lucy held her stuffed rabbit by one ear.
Marcus knelt when they entered.
“Hey, guys.”
Lucy stayed beside Paige.
Owen looked at his father.
“Are you still mad at Mom?”
Marcus swallowed.
“No.”
“Were you mad when you told her to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked at Paige, then back at his son.
“Because I was selfish. I wanted to avoid dealing with something difficult, so I made everyone else suffer instead.”
Owen studied him.
“That's a stupid thing to do.”
A surprised laugh escaped Paige before she could stop it.
Marcus nodded.
“You're right. It was.”
Lucy finally approached.
“Are you going to bring another lady home?”
“No,” he said.
“Promise?”
Marcus hesitated, then chose his words carefully.
“I promise I won't bring anyone into our home without talking to you and your mother about what happens next. But I can't promise every part of our family will be the same as before.”
Lucy considered this.
Then she climbed into his lap.
Marcus held her with a tenderness that made Paige look away.
When the visit ended, Owen hugged his father briefly. Lucy asked him to keep the rabbit safe until the next visit.
Marcus promised he would.
Outside, he returned the stuffed rabbit to Paige.
“Thank you for bringing them.”
“They need their father.”
“I know.”
She studied him.
“Do you?”
He nodded.
“I think I'm finally starting to.”
Three hours later, Marcus received a call from the investigators.
They had recovered the device used to access the server.
It belonged to a company employee who had been dead for fourteen months.
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The device had been activated remotely from a private residence.
The address belonged to Victor Shaw.
