Chapter 9 - WHAT EVELYN HAD BEEN TOLD
Rachel refused to let the conversation continue on the sidewalk.
They moved to a conference room in her office, where every word could be documented and no one could claim later that threats had been made.
Evelyn sat at one end of the table. Sophie sat at the other. Mark remained outside after Rachel told him he was not invited.
“What did he tell you?” Sophie asked.
Evelyn removed her glasses.
Her eyes were swollen.
“He said you offered to guarantee the bridge loan if I transferred ten percent of Dalton’s voting shares to him.”
“I never made that offer.”
“He said you didn’t want me involved after the wedding. He said you called me unstable.”
“I said your grief made it hard for you to let Mark make decisions without you.”
Evelyn’s mouth tightened. “That isn’t much kinder.”
“No. But it isn’t what he told you.”
Evelyn looked toward Rachel. “Is this conversation confidential?”
“Not automatically,” Rachel said. “I represent Sophie, not you.”
Evelyn folded her hands.
“Mark said the cake was his idea.”
Sophie had expected many answers, but not that one.
“He told me you needed to be taken down a level before signing,” Evelyn continued. “He said you respected strength and that if I embarrassed you, you’d stop trying to control the company.”
“You agreed to hold me down.”
“I thought it would be frosting. A family joke.”
“You called me a dog.”
Evelyn’s chin trembled once before she steadied it.
“I was angry.”
“That explains it. It doesn’t reduce it.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
She opened her purse and removed a printed email chain.
Mark had written to her three weeks before the wedding.
Sophie thinks everyone will side with her because she pays for things. She needs to learn that money doesn’t make her head of this family.
Another message followed.
Once she signs, we can restore Dalton’s cash and close Riverfront. After that, everyone calms down.
Evelyn had replied:
Are you sure she agreed?
Mark answered:
She agreed to help. She’s only fighting over control.
Sophie read the exchange twice.
Evelyn watched her.
“I believed him because I already believed the worst about you,” she said. “He knew that.”
Sophie slid the emails toward Rachel.
“Why bring these now?”
“Because Jenna showed me the transfers. Riverfront wasn’t a Dalton project. He lied to me too.”
“You still put your hands on me.”
“I know.”
No apology followed. Perhaps Evelyn understood that an apology offered while seeking protection would sound like another transaction.
Rachel asked about the $48,000.
Evelyn revealed that Dalton’s operating account had not retained it even for eleven minutes. Mark had routed $45,000 to Riverfront and used the remaining $3,000 to pay a consultant connected to the warehouse deal.
“What consultant?” Sophie asked.
Evelyn gave her the name.
Priya recognized it immediately when Rachel forwarded the information.
The consultant was not an engineer, environmental specialist, or lender.
It was a crisis-management firm.
Mark had hired it four days before the wedding.
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His plan had included more than forcing Sophie to sign.
He had prepared professionals to manage the story if she refused.
