Chapter 14 - Vanessa’s Last Attempt
The acquisition collapsed.
The buyer withdrew after reviewing the internal financial issues.
Halston did not disappear immediately.
Peterson negotiated emergency financing conditioned on major restructuring.
Derek would lose operational control.
His ownership stake would be diluted.
Vanessa’s transition bonus became worthless.
Before the restructuring was finalized, she contacted Claire.
Claire almost ignored the message.
Then read it.
Derek told me the signature was authorized. I didn’t know everything.
Claire forwarded it to her attorney.
Vanessa sent another.
We should talk woman to woman.
Claire replied once.
No.
Vanessa called.
Claire blocked the number.
Derek made a different choice.
He submitted a written statement to the company acknowledging that Claire had not authorized the borrowing amendment.
His attorney had clearly advised him to be careful.
The statement did not confess every disputed issue.
But it removed the lie holding Claire inside the company crisis.
Later Derek emailed her personally.
I’m not asking you to save me. I’m trying to stop making Sophie pay for what I did.
Claire read it twice.
Then looked toward the kitchen table where Sophie was doing math homework.
The apology did not repair anything.
But it was the first sentence Derek had written since the living room that did not ask Claire to protect him.
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The final restructuring meeting was scheduled for Friday.
After that, Derek would no longer control the company he had nearly destroyed trying to keep.
