Chapter 5 - The Second Avery
Rebecca had a younger brother.
Thomas Avery.
He worked construction.
No finance.
No executive title.
But during Whitmore’s early expansion, Thomas invested $120,000 from the sale of a family property.
His name vanished from later cap tables after a restructuring.
Why?
A buyout agreement existed.
Except his signature was disputed.
Thomas died believing he had been cheated.
Rebecca investigated.
That was part of why she examined Harrison’s accounting so aggressively.
Charles discovered this only after Rebecca left Hale Capital.
He commissioned an independent review.
Conclusion:
Thomas likely had been underpaid.
Not necessarily fraud.
Records were terrible.
Harrison denied wrongdoing.
Charles created a reserve.
Never distributed.
Because Thomas had no known children.
Then DNA-era genealogy changed that.
Thomas did have a child.
A daughter born before marriage.
Name:
Phoebe Grant.
Mabel stared at her attorney.
Phoebe remained completely still.
Flynn stood.
“You?”
Phoebe nodded.
“I learned four years ago.”
Mabel felt betrayed again.
“You never told me?”
“It wasn't my information to use casually.”
“You manage the trust.”
“I do not control my father’s potential claim. An independent fiduciary does.”
Marcus confirmed.
Phoebe had recused herself.
Good governance.
Still emotionally shocking.
Phoebe’s biological father had been Thomas Avery.
That made Phoebe and Selina first cousins.
Selina stared.
“You're family?”
“Biologically.”
“Did my mother know?”
“Yes.”
Selina’s eyes filled.
Rebecca had known Phoebe.
Secretly.
Why not tell Selina?
Thomas’s family history carried shame from an affair.
Rebecca respected Phoebe’s adoptive parents and did not interfere.
Again:
Silence disguised as protection.
Mabel was beginning to hate that phrase.
Then Flynn asked:
“Does Phoebe own part of my company?”
Marcus corrected:
“No one owns ‘your company’ in the simple way you're using that phrase.”
Whitmore had become a web of common stock, preferred interests, trusts, employee rights and contractual claims.
Flynn controlled operations.
That did not make every underlying right his.
Then Cassandra asked the dangerous question:
“If Rebecca and Thomas’s claims are validated, what happens to Flynn’s voting control?”
Marcus calculated.
Potentially:
42%.
Flynn would lose majority control.
Cassandra smiled.
Mabel noticed.
“You wanted that too.”
Cassandra’s smile vanished.
There.
Her plan had two outcomes.
If Selina’s Avery interest could be absorbed into Flynn’s branch, family control remained consolidated.
If the affair exploded publicly and Hale rights converted, Flynn could lose majority—and Cassandra could position herself for board control.
Either outcome weakened Mabel.
Cassandra had been playing both sides.
Flynn looked at his sister.
“You wanted me to cheat.”
“I wanted you to reveal what kind of man you were.”
“By putting a woman in front of me?”
“I didn't force you into her bed.”
Again, true.
Still manipulative.
Then Selina stood.
“You told me he was separating.”
Cassandra shrugged.
“I told you what Flynn told me.”
Selina looked at Flynn.
He had indeed told her his marriage was “basically over.”
It wasn't.
Mabel had been attending fertility appointments with him that same month.
Then Mabel understood something.
“Why did you bring Selina into my delivery room?”
Flynn looked ashamed.
He had wanted to force clarity.
Mabel had gone into labor before he planned.
Selina demanded he tell Mabel.
Cassandra told Flynn the trust paperwork needed to be resolved immediately after birth.
Flynn panicked.
So he chose cruelty.
He thought if he publicly acknowledged Selina’s child first, he could establish intended succession.
Legal nonsense.
Emotional brutality.
Then Marcus said:
“The sex of Selina’s baby has no effect on these rights.”
Flynn stared.
“What?”
“Harrison’s old preference for male succession was never incorporated into the Hale agreement.”
Mabel almost laughed.
Flynn had humiliated his laboring wife and rejected his daughter for a rule that did not legally exist.
Then Selina whispered:
“And there's another problem.”
She looked at Flynn.
“The clinic called yesterday.”
Flynn frowned.
“About what?”
May you like
Selina’s hand moved to her stomach.
“The test Cassandra gave you wasn't mine.”
