Chapter 5 - THE FILE IN HIS MOTHER'S SAFE
Declan spent the night at his office.
By morning, his attorney had delivered two boxes of divorce records and a digital archive of company correspondence.
He read everything.
The accusation against Cassidy had been based on a file supposedly copied from her personal laptop. The file contained confidential figures from a Hawthorne development bid. His mother, Eleanor, had claimed that Cassidy had sent it to a rival firm.
But the metadata showed the document had been created on a company server after Cassidy's access had already been suspended.
Declan read the report twice.
Then he found the email.
FROM: Eleanor Hawthorne
TO: Martin Shaw, General Counsel
SUBJECT: Cassidy's Departure
Make sure Declan understands that the marriage cannot continue. The board will not tolerate an outsider having influence over the company. The evidence needs to be sufficient to make him act, but nothing should be traceable to me.
Declan's stomach turned.
He called his mother.
“Come to my office.”
“I'm busy.”
“Then cancel.”
“Declan—”
“Now.”
She arrived forty minutes later, dressed in a pale gray suit and carrying the calm expression she used whenever she expected to win.
He placed the email on his desk.
“Explain.”
Eleanor glanced at it.
“Where did you get this?”
“That's your first question?”
“You don't understand corporate politics.”
“I understand that you framed my wife.”
“She was not suitable for you.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
“I protected your future.”
“You stole five years from my daughters.”
Eleanor went still.
“Those children are not your concern until their parentage is established.”
Declan stared at her.
“They are four years old. They look like me. They were born nine months after the last time Cassidy and I were together.”
“Coincidence.”
“Stop.”
His voice cracked through the office.
For once, Eleanor had no immediate reply.
“Did you know she was pregnant?”
“I heard rumors.”
“When?”
“After the divorce.”
“And what did you do?”
“I did what was necessary to protect this family.”
Declan rose.
“Get out.”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
“You are no longer welcome in my office, my home, or any company event involving my children.”
Eleanor's eyes narrowed.
“You cannot make decisions like this without the board.”
“Watch me.”
She picked up her handbag.
“You'll regret choosing her.”
May you like
Declan looked at the email again.
“I regret not choosing her five years ago.”
