Chapter 6 - THE MERGER
The merger had been waiting for three months.
Mercer Capital wanted to buy Adrian's company, Cole Infrastructure.
Adrian had rejected the offer twice.
Owen Mercer advised the buyer.
Now the pieces fit.
Adrian called his CFO, Rebecca Shaw.
"Freeze every pending board action."
"Why?"
"Because someone is trying to take control through my kids."
There was a long silence.
Then Rebecca said, "You need to come downtown."
"Tonight?"
"Now."
Adrian left Lily and Noah with his sister, Claire's best friend, and two police-approved security officers.
He hated leaving them even for an hour.
Noah grabbed his sleeve.
"You'll come back?"
Adrian crouched.
"I promise."
Noah studied his face.
"Vanessa says promises are what adults say before they leave."
Adrian swallowed.
"Then watch me keep this one."
At headquarters, Rebecca opened a conference room file.
Three board members had signed conditional merger approvals.
All depended on Adrian's removal for "temporary incapacity."
One signature belonged to his uncle.
Another to his oldest friend.
The third belonged to James Lowell.
Adrian stared.
"My attorney?"
Lowell had followed him downtown.
He went pale.
"I can explain."
"Do it."
Lowell closed the door.
"Owen showed me evidence you were unstable. Medical records. Expense reports. Video of you threatening an employee."
"Fake."
"I know that now."
"You signed anyway."
Lowell looked ashamed.
"I thought I was protecting the company."
Adrian laughed once.
"Everybody keeps protecting me by stealing from my children."
Rebecca slid another paper across the table.
"This is worse."
It was a transfer instruction for $22 million from the children's trust reserve into a merger escrow account.
The authorization was dated tomorrow.
Adrian's signature was already on it.
He had never seen the document.
May you like
Then Rebecca pointed to the witness line.
Vanessa Cole.
