Chapter 4 - The Eighteen Percent
Ethan pushed the document across table.
“You filed this.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Your father’s attorney brought it to me.”
“My father died three years ago.”
“His estate attorney. Martin Shaw.”
Ethan knew Martin.
Seventy.
Impeccable reputation.
He had managed Carter family trusts for decades.
According to Corinne, Martin said Laura’s temporary incapacity could freeze a pending hotel acquisition.
The voting block required active proxy.
Ethan was traveling.
Corinne was family trustee alternate.
Martin asked her submit emergency proxy.
“Did Laura sign?”
“I believed she did.”
“Did you watch her?”
“No.”
“Then you filed it anyway.”
“Yes.”
Why did voting rights matter?
Laura inherited eighteen percent from her mother, Margaret Ellis, who had invested in Carter Holdings long before Laura married Ethan.
Not magical inheritance over entire company.
Just meaningful minority block with board protections.
If Laura was incapacitated, proxy could influence merger.
But document Ethan found did not grant him control.
It granted proxy to:
Carter Continuity Committee.
Three members:
Ethan.
Corinne.
Martin Shaw.
Any two could authorize major vote.
So Corinne and Martin together could act without Ethan.
That was the danger.
Did they?
Yes.
During Laura’s absence, committee approved sale of one commercial property for $28 million.
Was sale fraudulent?
Independent appraisal showed fair market value.
Money stayed in company.
No theft.
But buyer:
Hale Development Partners.
Same corporate group that owned Laura’s first recovery center.
That looked terrible.
Martin claimed coincidence.
Corinne began suspecting he had manipulated both medical and financial processes.
Why hide from Ethan?
“I thought you’d confront him before I had proof.”
“You mean I might have learned my wife was alive.”
Corinne looked away.
She started secretly investigating.
Laura agreed to remain at second clinic for safety because they did not know whether Hale employees or Martin were involved.
That was at first.
Then Laura wanted home.
Corinne delayed.
Again.
“She wasn’t fully stable.”
“Who decided?”
“The doctor.”
“Which doctor?”
Corinne did not answer.
Ethan checked.
Second clinic physician:
Dr. Nathan Hale.
Brother of founder of Hale Development Partners.
Ethan stared.
“You transferred her from one Hale facility to another?”
“They were legally separate.”
“Same family.”
“I learned that later.”
Everything seemed designed to keep Laura within one network.
Then police traced H-17 keycard.
Hale Recovery Center.
Room 17.
But live monitor room did not match Hale.
So where was Laura now?
Corinne finally admitted:
“She left Hale four months ago.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
Ethan looked at live screen.
“Then how is this feed here?”
Corinne whispered:
“Because somebody wanted me to know she was still alive.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“When did monitor appear?”
“Six days ago.”
“In locked cabinet?”
“Yes.”
“Who put it there?”
May you like
Corinne swallowed.
“Maisie’s mother did.”
