Chapter 5 - The Lawyer With Two Masters
Warren Sloan had served the Thorne family for twenty-eight years.
He had attended Marcus's father's funeral.
He had negotiated the acquisition that made Thorne Global worth billions.
He had even stood beside Marcus at his wedding.
That history made the photographs more disturbing.
Victoria watched the screen.
“I knew Elaine was involved with someone.”
“But not Warren?”
“No.”
Marcus opened the next file.
It contained a partial audio recording.
Elaine's voice was clear.
“Once the incident happens, we need the police report filed immediately.”
Then Warren spoke.
“The timing matters more than the charge.”
Khloe's hands tightened around the wheelchair arms.
“What incident?”
Marcus already knew.
“Last night.”
The recording continued.
“If she's documented as violent before the child is born, the trustees can challenge her guardianship.”
Elaine sounded nervous.
“And Isabella?”
“She'll do what she's told.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Marcus looked at his mother.
“You sent Isabella into this.”
“I sent her to collect evidence.”
“And she became part of it.”
“Yes.”
Khloe stared at Victoria.
“Why didn't you warn me?”
Victoria's answer was painfully simple.
“Because I didn't trust you.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Mother.”
“No.”
Victoria looked directly at Khloe.
“I thought you might be involved.”
Khloe almost laughed.
“Involved in stealing control of a company I never asked to run?”
“You came from money.”
“So did you.”
“You understood exactly what the trust would give you.”
“I didn't know the trust existed until last night.”
Victoria looked toward Marcus.
Her silence confirmed that she believed Khloe.
Now.
Too late.
Damian shut the laptop.
“We need Sloan brought in.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Not yet.”
Everyone looked at him.
“If Warren thinks Isabella succeeded, he'll continue with the board vote.”
Khloe understood the plan.
“You want him to expose whoever he's working for.”
“Yes.”
Victoria studied her son.
“That means pretending Khloe is worse than she is.”
Marcus hated the idea.
But Khloe answered first.
“Do it.”
“No.”
“Marcus.”
“You nearly lost the baby.”
“And whoever planned this thinks they failed.”
Khloe's voice hardened.
“If they learn I'm stable, they'll change plans.”
Damian looked at his niece.
“You're asking me to lie about your condition.”
“I'm asking you to protect us long enough to discover who did this.”
Damian remained silent.
Then he picked up his phone.
Twenty minutes later, a carefully worded internal hospital notice circulated.
KHLOE THORNE REMAINS UNDER INTENSIVE MATERNAL OBSERVATION FOLLOWING A SERIOUS MEDICAL EVENT.
No details.
No confirmation about the baby.
Enough uncertainty to create panic.
They did not have to wait long.
At 8:03, Warren Sloan called Marcus.
“Marcus.”
“Warren.”
“I heard about Khloe.”
Marcus forced himself to sound exhausted.
“They're not telling me much.”
A pause.
“I'm sorry.”
Marcus looked at the others.
“You don't sound surprised.”
Another pause.
Then Warren laughed softly.
“You haven't slept.”
“The board vote is still happening?”
“It must.”
“My wife may lose our child.”
“And Thorne Global still opens for business this morning.”
The cruelty in his voice surprised Marcus.
Warren had stopped pretending.
“Come to the hospital.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because some of us are protecting what your father built.”
The call ended.
Damian immediately traced it.
The phone was not at Warren's home.
It was moving.
Southbound through Manhattan.
Then it stopped.
Marcus recognized the address.
An abandoned Thorne Global archive building scheduled for demolition.
Victoria whispered.
“Why would Warren go there?”
Khloe looked at the photograph of the Succession Contingency Plan.
“Because whatever he's hiding isn't finished.”
Marcus called his security chief.
But before anyone could leave, another message arrived.
It came directly to Khloe's phone.
A photograph appeared.
Elaine Parker was tied to a chair.
Blood ran from a cut above her eyebrow.
Beneath the photograph were six words.
May you like
BRING VICTORIA.
OR ELAINE TELLS NOBODY.
