Chương 7
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
The room was filled with the soft sounds of a newborn.
Tristan stared down.
“She has your eyes.”
Charlotte did not answer.
“She deserves better than this.”
The words caught her attention.
She looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
He swallowed.
“I made mistakes.”
“That is a very small word.”
He looked uncomfortable.
Good.
Some discomfort was deserved.
“I know.”
“No.”
Charlotte stepped closer.
“You know you caused a problem.”
She looked at the baby.
“You do not know what it feels like to have someone rewrite your entire reality while you are giving birth.”
Tristan lowered his eyes.
For a moment, she saw something close to shame.
Then his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
The moment disappeared.
Charlotte noticed.
Of course she noticed.
“Your mother?”
He did not answer.
That was enough.
“Who?”
“Charlotte.”
“Who?”
He put the phone away.
“It is not important.”
A bitter smile touched her face.
“That is what you always say when something is important.”
He handed the baby back carefully.
“I need to go.”
She accepted their daughter.
Neither of them said goodbye.
After he left, Charlotte stood in the quiet house.
She hated that part of her still remembered his gentleness.
She hated that someone could do terrible things and still have moments where they looked human.
It would have been easier if he had become a monster.
Real people were harder.
They could hurt you and still love parts of you.
They could regret something and still do it again.
That night, Natalie sent another message.
A location.
And three words.
You need to see this.
Charlotte arrived at a small office building outside the city.
Natalie was waiting in the parking lot.
“What happened?”
Natalie looked toward the building.
“We found the family adviser.”
“The one who emailed Tristan?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He wants to talk.”
Charlotte frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he quit.”
Inside the office, they found Daniel Reed sitting behind an empty desk.
He looked like someone who had not slept in days.
When Charlotte entered, he immediately stood.
“Mrs. Pembroke.”
“Charlotte is fine.”
He nodded.
“I do not know if I deserve to call you anything.”
Natalie placed a folder on the desk.
“Start talking.”
Daniel looked nervous.
Not guilty.
Nervous.
“There are things Tristan did not tell you.”
Charlotte remained standing.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“I know.”
He looked down.
“But this time it is different.”
“Why?”
“Because this is not about Chloe.”
The room became quiet.
“It is about the trust.”
Charlotte waited.
Daniel opened a drawer and removed a small flash drive.
“I copied these before I resigned.”
Natalie immediately stepped forward.
“Copied what?”
“Internal communications.”
“Those are confidential.”
“Yes.”
“Then why risk your career?”
Daniel looked at Charlotte.
“Because I realized I was helping him do something that could destroy the one person who actually protected this family.”
Charlotte stared at the flash drive.
“What is on it?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then he answered.
“Proof that Tristan planned to force a vote removing you from authority.”
Natalie looked at him.
“That is not enough.”
“I know.”
Daniel nodded.
“That is why there is more.”
He placed another document on the desk.
Charlotte picked it up.
The signature at the bottom made her heart stop.
Because it was hers.
Because it was hers.
Charlotte stared at the signature at the bottom of the document.
Her name.
Her handwriting.
Her authorization.
For a few seconds, the room became strangely distant.
The hum of the building disappeared.
The movement outside the window disappeared.
Even Natalie’s voice disappeared.
All Charlotte could see was the page in front of her.
“I did not sign this.”
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
“I know.”
Charlotte lifted her eyes.
“Then why is my signature here?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Because it was copied.”
Natalie immediately took the document from her hand.
She examined the page carefully.
“Where did you get this?”
“From the internal archive.”
“Who uploaded it?”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“I do not know.”
“That is not an answer.”
“It is the truth.”
Natalie stared at him.
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
“After I resigned, I checked everything I had access to before leaving.”
“And you found this.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte looked at the document again.
The title at the top was simple.
Transfer of Administrative Authority.
The language was not.
It gave temporary decision-making power over the trust to Tristan during a period when Charlotte was considered unable to perform her responsibilities.
The date was three days before she gave birth.
Three days.
Charlotte felt sick.
Not because of what it said.
Because she remembered that week.
She remembered being exhausted.
She remembered Tristan bringing her tea.
She remembered him sitting beside her on the couch and telling her to rest.
She remembered saying she trusted him.
Natalie noticed the change in her expression.
“What is it?”
Charlotte swallowed.
“He was preparing this while I was still carrying our daughter.”
Nobody spoke.
Daniel looked away.
“I am sorry.”
Charlotte laughed quietly.
It was not amusement.
It was disbelief.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
“No.”
She placed the document down.
“You do not.”
Her voice remained calm.
That was what made it worse.
“You are sorry because you saw the damage.”
She looked at him.
“I lived through the moment before the damage.”
Daniel accepted the words without defending himself.
That made Charlotte respect him slightly.
Not enough to trust him.
But enough to keep listening.
Natalie placed the document inside a folder.
“We need to verify this.”
“How?”
“Original files.”
Daniel nodded.
“There is a backup system.”
“Where?”
“At the family office.”
Natalie looked at him.
“You quit yesterday.”
“Yes.”
“And you still have access?”
“No.”
A pause.
“But someone else does.”
Charlotte looked at him.
“Who?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then said, “Tristan’s assistant.”
The next morning, Charlotte watched her daughter sleep while Natalie prepared for another investigation.
May you like
It was strange how quickly her life had changed.
A month earlier, her biggest concern had been choosing between two nursery colors.
