Chương 9
Julian’s face remained still.
“May have been.”
“Yes.”
“Meaning nobody knows.”
“Meaning they have enough concern to issue notice before tomorrow’s committee meeting.”
Dad leaned back.
“What assets?”
Everett looked at him.
“Patent rights, customer assignment rights, and certain licensing revenues.”
I felt the back of my neck turn cold.
Those were not peripheral assets.
Even I understood that.
Julian finally sat.
“This is absurd.”
Dad said nothing.
Everett waited.
Julian looked from one man to the other.
“Cross Meridian has done no unauthorized transfer.”
“Then what relationship does it have with Helix?”
“A prospective financing relationship.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s not what your covenant schedule would call it.”
Julian looked at him.
“You haven’t seen our covenant schedule.”
“No.”
Dad’s voice was almost pleasant.
“I helped negotiate the original one.”
The silence afterward was brief but ugly.
Julian rubbed one thumb along the edge of his wedding ring.
It was the first time that evening I had noticed he was still wearing it.
“What exactly do you want from me?”
Everett answered.
“The truth before the lenders ask for it under oath somewhere much less comfortable.”
Julian laughed once.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“Possibly.”
Everett nodded.
“That’s preferable to getting behind this.”
My phone vibrated inside my bag.
I ignored it.
Julian looked at me.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Dad shifted beside me.
I touched his wrist before he could answer.
“Stop saying that.”
Julian’s eyes met mine.
“For once tonight, stop deciding where I belong.”
Something moved in his face.
Not remorse.
Recognition.
He had heard a version of my old voice he had forgotten existed.
I hated that the discovery gave me satisfaction.
Everett looked between us.
“Clarissa, how much do you know about Cross Meridian’s finances?”
“Very little.”
Julian gave a short bitter laugh.
I turned toward him.
“That isn’t an insult to me.”
His jaw tightened.
I continued.
“I saw a liquidity projection last month by accident.”
Julian went completely still.
“When?”
“You left a binder open in your office.”
“You went through my files?”
“No.”
“You just happened to read them?”
“I saw a table.”
“That was confidential.”
“So were the diamonds.”
His expression changed.
Dad looked at me.
I could feel him trying not to speak.
Everett’s eyes moved toward Julian.
“What diamonds?”
“Personal matter,” Julian said.
“Good.”
Everett sounded relieved.
“I have enough professional ones.”
My phone vibrated again.
This time I took it out.
A message from Lena.
Chloe left the ballroom.
I read it twice.
Dad noticed.
“What?”
I turned the screen toward him.
He looked up.
“Everett.”
Everett frowned.
“Chloe Miller just left.”
Julian pushed back his chair.
“No.”
His response was too fast.
Dad’s eyes sharpened.
“You know where she’s going?”
Julian stood.
“She’s upset.”
“That wasn’t the question.”
Julian looked toward the door.
I saw the decision happen before he moved.
I stood too.
“Julian.”
He stopped.
“Where is she going?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
He turned toward me.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
My voice sounded calmer than I felt.
“She looked terrified when Everett mentioned Helix.”
“She’s under pressure.”
“So are you.”
He said nothing.
Everett stood now.
“Julian, sit down.”
“I need to make a call.”
“You can make it here.”
“This is still my company.”
Everett’s expression cooled.
“And tomorrow you may discover exactly how conditional that sentence is.”
Julian stared at him.
Then his phone began ringing.
He looked at the screen.
I watched the color drain from his face.
He declined the call.
Dad noticed.
“Who was it?”
“No one.”
The phone rang again.
Same caller.
Julian declined it.
Everett said, “Answer.”
Julian shoved the phone into his pocket.
Dad leaned toward me and whispered, “People only hate their phones when someone else might learn what’s on them.”
I almost told him not to enjoy this.
Then Julian’s phone rang a third time.
He swore under his breath and walked toward the far end of the room.
“I said I need privacy.”
Everett did not stop him.
Julian answered with his back turned.
“What?”
We could not hear the response.
His shoulders stiffened.
“No, don’t do that.”
Another pause.
“I don’t care what she said.”
He glanced toward us.
“Stay where you are.”
Then, more sharply, “Chloe.”
The name changed the air in the room.
Dad looked at me.
Everett’s face hardened.
Julian lowered his voice, but the room was too quiet.
“You cannot leave with those files.”
My pulse jumped.
He listened.
“No.”
Another pause.
“Because this is bigger than you.”
He turned farther away.
“Chloe, listen to me.”
Whatever she said made him close his eyes.
Then the line went dead.
Julian lowered the phone slowly.
Everett spoke first.
“What files?”
Julian did not answer.
Dad stood.
“What files, Julian?”
“It’s being handled.”
“By whom?”
“My general counsel.”
Everett reached for his own phone.
“I’ll call him.”
“No.”
That single word came out almost like a shout.
Julian caught himself.
“No, don’t.”
Everett looked at him.
“Why?”
Julian rubbed both hands over his face.
For the first time all evening, he looked exhausted instead of polished.
“I need five minutes.”
Dad said, “You’ve probably needed five minutes for six weeks.”
“Arthur.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Julian turned toward me.
There was anger in his face, but underneath it I saw something worse.
Pleading.
“Clarissa, you need to go home.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
He looked toward Dad and Everett.
Then back at me.
“Because whatever you think is happening between Chloe and me, this is not about that.”
“You keep saying that as if it improves anything.”
“It does.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“It means I don’t even know which betrayal you’re asking me to ignore.”
The words landed harder than I expected.
Julian looked away.
Dad’s face tightened, but he stayed silent.
Everett examined the floor.
For a moment, nobody behaved like powerful people.
We were simply four adults in an overheated library, avoiding each other’s eyes.
May you like
Then someone knocked.
Everett opened the door.
