Chapter 17 - OCTOBER SEVENTEENTH|
The day before the hearing, I woke before sunrise.
I made coffee, opened the curtains, and stood in the kitchen where Grant and I had once planned our future.
The house felt unfamiliar now.
His clothes were gone from the bedroom closet. His office had been emptied of personal items. He had moved into a hotel after the board suspended his access to the company.
I had not asked him to leave.
But I had changed the locks after Daniel advised me to secure the property and document every item removed.
At nine, Daniel called.
“The court has accepted the additional filing.”
I exhaled.
“Good.”
“There's no guarantee the judge will grant every request. We need to stay focused on the evidence.”
“I understand.”
At eleven, the independent financial officer sent an update.
The company had identified another transfer attempt. This one involved a payment to a holding company connected to Peter Lang.
The bank stopped it.
At one, Robert Hale called to confirm that the board would support the request for an independent review.
At three, my father arrived with lunch.
We sat in the kitchen.
He watched me push food around my plate.
“You don't have to be strong every minute,” he said.
I looked at him.
“I know.”
“Then stop trying.”
I put down my fork.
“I keep thinking about the woman I was before all this happened.”
“She hasn't disappeared.”
“She believed Grant loved her.”
“Perhaps he did, in his own way.”
I looked up.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“No,” he said. “It's supposed to remind you that his choices don't make your love foolish. They make his choices his responsibility.”
I swallowed.
For the first time that week, tears came.
My father moved his chair closer but didn't say anything.
I let myself cry.
Not because I wanted Grant back.
Not because I regretted exposing him.
I cried because fourteen years was a long time to discover that the person you trusted most had been living a second life.
That evening, Daniel called again.
“There's one more thing.”
I wiped my face.
“What?”
“Peter Lang has withdrawn from representing the Harbor Point seller.”
“Why?”
“He says he has a conflict of interest.”
“Does he?”
“We don't know yet.”
Daniel paused.
“But the timing is interesting. He has also requested a meeting with the independent investigators.”
I looked toward the dark garden.
“Is he going to cooperate?”
“Possibly.”
“And Grant?”
“Grant's attorney has confirmed he'll attend tomorrow.”
I ended the call.
At 10:30, a car stopped outside the house.
I looked through the window.
Grant stepped out.
He stood at the gate for several seconds before walking toward the front door.
I didn't open it.
He rang the bell.
“Claire.”
I remained inside.
“Please. I need to talk to you.”
“Send it through your attorney.”
“Just five minutes.”
“No.”
He stood there for a long moment.
Then he said something I could barely hear.
“Tomorrow, everything changes.”
May you like
I looked at him through the glass.
“Yes,” I whispered. “It does.”
