Chapter 7 - Daniel's Last Lie
By Thursday night, Daniel had convinced himself he still had one option.
A private investor.
Victor Hale.
Hale was aggressive, secretive, and known for buying distressed companies just before collapse.
Daniel had rejected him three years earlier.
Now he called.
Hale answered after midnight.
“I heard you're having a bad week.”
Daniel ignored the remark.
“I need five million by noon tomorrow.”
Hale laughed.
“You need more than five.”
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“How do you know?”
“Everyone knows.”
Daniel looked around the hotel suite he had booked after being forced from the penthouse.
Chloe had stopped answering his calls.
Michael had stopped answering too.
Daniel poured another drink.
“What are your terms?”
“Forty percent.”
Daniel nearly laughed.
“Of the company?”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then enjoy insolvency.”
Daniel stood.
“Twenty.”
“Forty.”
“Twenty-five.”
“Forty.”
Daniel clenched his teeth.
“Thirty.”
Hale paused.
“Thirty-five.”
Daniel stared at the city.
“Done.”
Hale chuckled.
“Send me the books.”
Daniel ended the call.
For the first time in forty-eight hours, he felt relief.
It lasted eleven minutes.
Then Evan called.
“Daniel.”
“I found the money.”
There was silence.
“What money?”
“Victor Hale.”
Evan swore under his breath.
“He wants thirty-five percent.”
“You can't do that.”
“I can.”
“No.”
Daniel's voice hardened.
“I am still chief executive.”
Evan took a breath.
“There is a restriction in the Hawthorne loan agreement.”
Daniel froze.
“What restriction?”
“Any transfer exceeding twenty percent requires lender consent.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
He remembered signing the agreement.
He did not remember reading that clause.
“Then get consent.”
“They won't give it.”
“Ask them.”
“I already did.”
Daniel turned toward the window.
“Rebecca?”
“Yes.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Of course.”
Evan continued.
“There is something else.”
Daniel's patience snapped.
“What?”
“The board scheduled an emergency meeting tomorrow morning.”
“Who called it?”
“Three independent directors.”
Daniel understood instantly.
“They want to remove me.”
Evan did not answer.
Daniel lowered the phone.
He had spent twenty-five years building Mercer Strategic from a two-room office.
He had slept on airport floors.
He had missed anniversaries.
He had skipped Michael's first baseball championship because a client in London threatened to leave.
He had always justified everything with one sentence.
I'm building this for us.
Now the company was turning against him.
His personal life was gone.
His home was gone.
His girlfriend was gone.
And tomorrow morning, his title might disappear too.
Daniel opened his contacts.
He found Rebecca's name.
He called.
She answered after four rings.
“What?”
Daniel swallowed his pride.
“We need to talk.”
Rebecca was silent.
“About the company?”
“No.”
Daniel stared at his reflection.
“About us.”
Rebecca answered quietly.
“There is no us.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Rebecca.”
She ended the call.
May you like
Daniel stood alone in the hotel suite.
For the first time, he realized he did not know how to ask for forgiveness without first demanding something in return.
