Chapter 7: The Girl Who Owned the Company
For several seconds, nobody at Aunt Karen's dining table spoke.
I stared at Evelyn's name on the phone screen.
Then I looked at my father.
"Majority shareholder?""
Dad slowly lowered himself into a chair.
"Madison, I need you to understand something. Your mother never told me she owned anything close to a controlling interest in Gulf Meridian.""
"But Evelyn said—"
"I heard her.""
"Then why are you acting like this is impossible?""
He rubbed his hands over his face.
"Because I've spent twenty years working for that company. I've watched executives come and go. I've seen shareholders attend annual meetings. I've never once heard your mother's name mentioned.""
Evelyn interrupted.
"That's because the shares were held through a private family trust. The company records identified the trust, not the individual beneficiary.""
"How many shares?"" Karen asked.
Evelyn took a breath.
"According to the original ledger, the trust holds 31.6 percent of the voting shares.""
Dad looked up.
"That's not a majority.""
"Not by itself," Evelyn replied.
"But your daughter's grandfather also established voting agreements with several smaller shareholders. Those agreements were activated when Madison turned eighteen.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
"It means the trust controls the voting rights of several additional investors. Together, the voting block represents 52.4 percent.""
I looked at the dining room table.
My high school graduation photograph was still sitting beside the fruit bowl.
Yesterday, I'd been worried about getting my college tuition paid.
Today, someone was telling me I could control a major energy company.
"I don't want a company," I said.
Nobody answered.
"I wanted to go to college. I wanted my car. I wanted the money Mom left for me.""
Evelyn's voice softened.
"Your mother knew that. She never intended for you to spend your life managing an energy corporation.""
"Then why leave me the shares?""
"Because she wanted you to have a choice. The voting rights can be delegated. You can appoint independent representatives. You can even vote to sell the shares, subject to the trust's legal provisions.""
Dad leaned forward.
"Who knew about this?""
"Your wife certainly knew something," Evelyn replied.
"The attempted address changes, the fraudulent transfer requests, and the documents submitted to Gulf Meridian suggest someone has been trying to gain control of the trust for months.""
I looked at the letter from Mom.
"Who helped Mason?""
Evelyn went quiet.
Then she answered.
"We're still investigating.""
Dad stood abruptly.
"Then we're going to Savannah.""
"Daniel," Karen said, "you can't just walk into their office.""
"I'm not asking permission.""
Evelyn interrupted.
"Please don't come alone. Mason has already demonstrated that he is willing to remove original records. We have contacted our attorneys and requested an emergency preservation order.""
"How long will that take?""
"At least forty-eight hours.""
Dad laughed bitterly.
"We don't have forty-eight hours.""
"Why not?""
"Because my wife has been trying to get me fired, and somebody is using my identity to move company assets.""
There was a pause.
Then Evelyn said:
"Daniel, I need to tell you something else.""
Dad stopped.
"What?""
"Your daughter's trust received a formal notice yesterday.""
"From whom?""
"Gulf Meridian's corporate legal department.""
I looked at him.
Evelyn continued.
"They're requesting confirmation of the trust's voting authority before the next emergency board meeting.""
"When is that?"" Dad asked.
"Tomorrow morning.""
The room went silent.
Tomorrow morning.
That meant someone was moving quickly.
And if Mason had stolen the original ledger, he might be trying to destroy the only proof that I controlled the voting shares.
Dad picked up his truck keys.
"Madison, we're leaving.""
I gathered the letters.
Karen grabbed her purse.
But before we reached the front door, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
It was Tanner.
She frowned.
"Why is he calling me?""
I took the phone.
"Hello?""
"Madison?""
His voice sounded different.
Not cocky.
Not careless.
Scared.
"What do you want, Tanner?""
"Where's Dad?""
"He's here.""
"Put him on.""
I glanced at Dad.
He took the phone.
"What?""
Tanner spoke quickly.
"There's a guy at the house.""
"Who?""
"Mason.""
Dad's expression hardened.
"Why is he there?""
"He says Mom told him to get the paperwork from your office.""
Dad closed his eyes.
"Don't let him in.""
A pause.
Then Tanner said:
"Too late.""
I heard a crash through the phone.
"What was that?"" Dad demanded.
"He's breaking the office cabinet.""
"Get away from him.""
Tanner lowered his voice.
"Dad, I think Mom's in trouble.""
Dad froze.
"What do you mean?""
"She's arguing with him. He's saying she promised him something.""
I moved closer.
"Put him on speaker.""
Dad did.
Tanner's voice came through.
"I heard Mason say the money was supposed to be split three ways.""
My stomach tightened.
"Three ways?"" I repeated.
"Yeah. Him, Mom, and somebody else.""
"Who?""
"I don't know.""
Then Tanner said something that made my father look at me.
"He said the girl wasn't supposed to turn eighteen.""
I felt cold.
Dad grabbed his jacket.
"We're calling the police.""
"Wait," Tanner said.
"There's something else.""
"What?""
"Mom has a folder with your name on it. She keeps it in her bedroom.""
Dad's jaw tightened.
"What folder?""
"I don't know. But Mason just found it.""
The call ended.
I stared at the phone.
Dad dialed 911.
While he explained the situation, Karen called the local sheriff's office.
Within minutes, we were driving toward Valdosta.
The entire way, Dad kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his phone.
He called Tanner three times.
No answer.
When we turned onto Magnolia Road, I saw two police cruisers outside our house.
A neighbor stood on the sidewalk.
The front door was open.
Dad parked so hard the tires scraped the curb.
He ran inside.
I followed.
The living room looked like a storm had passed through it.
A lamp lay broken.
Papers covered the floor.
The glass on the family photograph had shattered.
A police officer stepped into the hallway.
"Sir, are you Daniel Ellis?""
"Yes. Where's my son?""
"He's outside with another officer.""
"Is everyone safe?""
The officer nodded.
"Your wife is being questioned. A second male left before we arrived.""
"Mason?""
"We're not releasing identities yet.""
Dad looked toward the kitchen.
Rhonda was sitting at the table.
Her handbag rested on her lap.
She looked up.
"Daniel.""
He stopped.
"Where's the folder?""
She stared at him.
"What folder?""
"The one Tanner told me about.""
Rhonda's eyes moved toward the staircase.
Dad followed her gaze.
Then he turned to the officer.
"My wife has been withholding financial documents and may have evidence related to identity theft.""
The officer nodded.
"We'll need to discuss that with her.""
Rhonda stood.
"Daniel, don't do this.""
He looked at her.
"You did this.""
She walked toward him.
"I was trying to protect us.""
"From what?""
"From your daughter taking everything.""
I stepped into the room.
"Everything was mine before you touched it.""
Rhonda turned toward me.
"You're a selfish little girl.""
Dad moved between us.
"Enough.""
The officer asked Rhonda to sit back down.
She did.
Then I noticed Tanner standing near the back door.
His face was pale.
He looked at me.
"Madison.""
I crossed the room.
"What happened?""
He swallowed.
"I didn't know.""
"Didn't know what?""
"About the money.""
I folded my arms.
"You knew about the car.""
He looked down.
"Mom said Dad had changed his mind.""
"Did you believe her?""
He didn't answer.
I laughed without humor.
"You didn't even ask.""
Tanner rubbed the back of his neck.
"She told me you'd be leaving for college and wouldn't need it.""
"That's exactly what she told me.""
He looked toward the kitchen.
"There's something you should know.""
"What?""
"Mom told me the car wasn't the only thing I was getting.""
I stared at him.
"What do you mean?""
He lowered his voice.
"She said once the paperwork was finished, we'd be moving into a bigger house.""
Dad overheard.
"What paperwork?""
Tanner looked at him.
"She said Mason was arranging everything. She said you'd be getting a severance package from the company, and we'd use the money to start over.""
Dad's face went white.
"A severance package?""
"Yeah.""
I felt something twist in my stomach.
Rhonda wasn't just planning to steal my inheritance.
She was planning to destroy Dad's career, take the house, and disappear with Tanner.
I looked at her.
"Where were you going?""
Rhonda stared back.
"Somewhere I could finally live without being blamed for everything.""
The officer asked her another question.
She ignored him.
Instead, she looked at me.
"You have no idea what your mother did.""
Dad stepped forward.
"Don't.""
Rhonda continued.
"Your mother made promises she couldn't keep. She dragged everyone into her little secret.""
"What promises?"" I asked.
She smiled faintly.
"Ask your father about the night she died.""
Dad's face changed.
The officer looked between them.
I felt my heart pounding.
"Tell me what happened.""
Rhonda leaned back.
"Your father wasn't at the hospital when your mother signed the final trust documents.""
Dad stared at her.
"How do you know that?""
"Because I was there.""
The room went silent.
I felt as if the floor had disappeared beneath me.
"You were there?""
Rhonda nodded.
"I knew your mother before I married your father.""
Dad's voice was barely audible.
"What?""
Rhonda looked at him.
"She called me.""
He shook his head.
"That's impossible.""
"She wanted to speak to someone who understood the company.""
Dad stepped backward.
"Rhonda, what are you talking about?""
She reached into her handbag.
The officer immediately stood.
"Ma'am, keep your hands where I can see them.""
Rhonda slowly withdrew a folded piece of paper.
She placed it on the table.
"Here.""
Dad picked it up.
His hands began shaking.
It was a hospital visitor record.
The date was the night Mom died.
And beneath the final entry was a signature.
Rhonda Ellis.
I looked at my stepmother.
"Why were you at the hospital?""
She looked directly at me.
"Because your mother asked me to deliver something to your father.""
"What?""
Rhonda smiled sadly.
"Something he never received.""
May you like
Then she leaned forward.
"And if you want to know why Mason is doing all this, you need to find out what your mother wrote in the document I never gave him.""
