Chapter 2: The Document
“My mother already knows.””
I stared at the darkened windows of the Northbridge executive office.
For several seconds, I said nothing.
Arthur was the first to break the silence.
“Claire?””
“What does she know?””
“That you own Northbridge.””
My stomach tightened.
I turned away from Maya and lowered my voice.
“How?””
“I told you. I found a document.””
“What document?””
“I can't discuss it over the phone.””
“Then come here.””
He hesitated.
“Tonight?””
“Yes.””
Another pause.
“I don't think that's a good idea.””
I almost laughed.
“You just told me your mother knows my company.””
“She does.””
“And now you don't want to come?””
“Claire, please.””
His voice sounded different.
The soft confidence was gone.
“So you knew?””
“No.””
“Arthur.””
“I didn't know the number.””
“What number?””
He breathed out slowly.
“How much Northbridge is worth.””
I looked toward Maya.
She was standing several feet away, pretending to review something on her monitor.
“Where are you?””
“At the house.””
“With your parents?””
“Yes.””
“Are they talking about me?””
“No.””
“That's not what I asked.””
Silence.
I closed my eyes.
“Arthur, what exactly did your mother tell you?””
“She said you aren't what I thought you were.””
I let that sentence sit between us.
Then I asked, “And what did you think I was?””
“Claire…”
“No. Answer me.””
He swallowed.
“I thought you were independent.””
“I am.””
“I thought you were struggling.””
“I never told you I was.””
“You talked about work.””
“Yes.””
“You said you consulted for small businesses.””
“I do.””
“You never said you owned one.””
I looked at the gift box again.
“You never asked.””
“That isn't the point.””
“No,” I said softly.
“It isn't.””
There was a long silence.
Then Arthur said, “Can we meet somewhere private?””
“My office is private.””
“Not there.””
“Why?””
“My father can't know I'm talking to you.””
I frowned.
“Why would your father care?””
“Because he knows about the financing.””
I straightened.
“Havenridge?””
Arthur said nothing.
That was answer enough.
“You knew about the loan.””
“I knew my father was having trouble.””
“And you still invited me to dinner.””
“I didn't know Mom was going to say those things.””
“But you said them.””
His breathing changed.
“I was angry.””
“At me?””
“At the situation.””
“You called me easy.””
“I didn't mean it the way it sounded.””
I stared at the phone.
“How does it sound, Arthur?””
He didn't answer.
Maya looked over.
I gave her a small nod.
She quietly left the room.
The door clicked shut.
I sat behind my desk.
“Bring the document tomorrow,” I said.
“Claire—”
“Bring it.””
“What will you do?””
“I'll decide whether I still have a fiancé.””
The line went silent.
Then Arthur whispered, “I love you.””
Those four words used to have the power to rearrange my entire day.
Tonight they sounded like a sales pitch.
I ended the call.
For a moment, I simply sat there.
Then Maya returned.
“What happened?””
“He knows.””
She stopped.
“How much?””
“Enough to know Northbridge is mine.””
“Who told him?””
“Apparently his mother knows.””
Maya frowned.
“That shouldn't be possible.””
“I agree.””
She came around the desk.
“Then someone gave them internal information.””
“No.””
“Claire—”
“Arthur said he found a document.””
Maya's expression hardened.
“What kind of document?””
“He wouldn't say.””
She folded her arms.
“Are we talking about a public filing or something internal?””
“I don't know.””
“Do you want me to find out?””
“Yes.””
She reached for her tablet.
“I'll pull the access logs for anything involving your ownership documents, valuation reports, and acquisition files.””
I nodded.
Then she paused.
“There was one unusual request last week.””
“What request?””
“A copy of the old ownership structure.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Who requested it?””
Maya looked at the screen.
“Legal said it was requested for a potential external partnership.””
“With whom?””
“Havenridge Freight.””
The room went completely still.
I leaned back.
“Who approved it?””
“Your signature appears on the request.””
I stared at her.
“I didn't approve it.””
Maya slowly turned the tablet toward me.
There it was.
My name.
My signature.
My employee identification number.
Everything looked legitimate.
Except I had never seen the document before.
“That's forged,” I said.
Maya zoomed in.
“Claire…”
“I never signed that.””
She looked unsettled.
“Then someone inside Northbridge did.””
I stood.
“Find out who.””
She nodded.
But before she could leave, the office phone rang.
Maya looked at the display.
“It's the front desk.””
She answered.
“Northbridge executive office.””
Her expression changed.
Then she looked directly at me.
“It's Arthur.””
I shook my head.
“Tell him I'm unavailable.””
She covered the receiver.
“He says he isn't alone.””
I looked at her.
“Who is with him?””
Maya listened.
Then her face went pale.
“His father.””
A cold sensation moved through my chest.
I reached for the receiver.
“Put them through.””
Maya transferred the call.
A man's voice filled the office.
“Ms. Morgan.””
I recognized him immediately.
Richard Hale.
Arthur's father.
I had met him twice.
Both times, he had been polite.
Almost charming.
Tonight, his voice carried none of that warmth.
“Mr. Hale.””
“We should speak.””
“I agree.””
“I believe there has been a misunderstanding.””
“About what?””
“Your relationship with my son.””
I almost smiled.
“That's an interesting way to describe what I heard tonight.””
There was a pause.
“So you heard.””
“Yes.””
Richard exhaled.
“Then you understand the circumstances.””
“I understand exactly what your family thinks of me.””
“Claire,” Arthur interrupted.
Richard silenced him.
“Arthur,” he said sharply, “let me handle this.””
I leaned against my desk.
“Go ahead.””
Richard lowered his voice.
“My company is in a difficult financial position.””
“I know.””
“You know?””
“I work in logistics.””
“Then you understand the pressures we're facing.””
“I understand them better than you think.””
He ignored that.
“There are investors willing to provide capital.””
“Apparently not.””
His silence was immediate.
I continued.
“Your bank rejected the bridge facility yesterday.””
“How did you—”
“You'd be surprised what is publicly available.””
Arthur spoke again.
“Dad.””
Richard snapped, “Enough.””
I heard the scrape of a chair.
Then Richard said, “The point is that this situation can be resolved.””
“How?””
“Through cooperation.””
“With me?””
“Yes.””
I looked at the rain streaking down the glass.
“Why would I cooperate with you?””
“Because you're engaged to my son.””
The answer was so absurd that I laughed.
“That isn't a business reason.””
“You care about Arthur.””
“I did.””
Another silence.
Then Richard said something that changed the room.
“You don't understand what happens if Havenridge collapses.””
“I understand perfectly.””
“No, you don't.””
His voice dropped.
“Three hundred families depend on this company.””
I frowned.
“That isn't the number that matters to you.””
“Excuse me?””
“You're worried about your control.””
Richard went silent.
“You don't need four point eight million to protect three hundred families,” I said.
“You need a restructuring.””
“Are you offering one?””
“No.””
“Then what are you offering?””
“Nothing.””
Arthur's voice came through again.
“Claire, please.””
I closed my eyes.
“Did you know?””
“What?””
“That your parents planned to use me to rescue the company?””
“No.””
Richard cut in.
“That is not what happened.””
“Then tell me what happened.””
He hesitated.
I waited.
Finally, he said, “Your company submitted an acquisition inquiry.””
I felt my pulse jump.
“My company?””
“Yes.””
“Northbridge?””
“Yes.””
“That's impossible.””
“You're telling me your own people contacted us?””
“I am.””
Richard's tone suddenly became colder.
“They offered to acquire Havenridge at a discount.””
I froze.
“Who signed it?””
“I can't disclose that over the phone.””
“Then don't.””
“Claire—”
“I'll see you tomorrow.””
He went quiet.
I added, “And bring the document Arthur found.””
Richard didn't answer.
Instead, Arthur spoke.
“Claire, before you do anything—”
The line crackled.
Then another voice came through.
Female.
Calm.
Amused.
Eleanor.
“Darling, don't make this harder than it needs to be.””
My grip tightened around the receiver.
“You knew from the beginning.””
She gave a soft laugh.
“I suspected.””
“Suspected what?””
“That you weren't some ordinary consultant.””
“You investigated me.””
“We had to protect Arthur.””
I looked at the rain.
“No. You wanted to know what I could give him.””
She sighed.
“Money isn't everything.””
“No,” I said.
“But apparently it's enough to determine whether your son thinks a woman is worth marrying.””
“That isn't fair.””
“I heard him.””
“He was upset.””
“He was honest.””
She said nothing.
Then her voice became strangely gentle.
“Claire, come to the house tomorrow.””
“Why?””
“Because there are things you deserve to know.””
I stared at the office door.
“What things?””
A pause.
Then Eleanor said,
“The man who forged your signature works for you.””
The call ended.
I stood completely still.
Maya had returned without me noticing.
She was holding her tablet.
“What happened?””
I looked at her.
“Check every employee who accessed my ownership files.””
“Already doing it.””
“And Maya?””
“Yes?””
“Add Havenridge's acquisition proposal to the investigation.””
She frowned.
“Why?””
“Because someone at Northbridge tried to buy Arthur's father's company.””
I glanced down at the navy-blue gift box one last time.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new email had arrived.
No sender name.
One attachment.
The subject line contained only six words:
*You should have stayed away from Arthur.*
Maya saw my expression.
“Claire?””
I opened the attachment.
It was a scanned contract.
At the bottom was a signature.
Mine.
And beside it was a second signature.
Arthur Hale.
May you like
Neither of us had ever signed it.
But the date on the contract was six weeks before Arthur had even asked me to marry him.
