Chapter 6
Ethan asked to see Emma.
The adults had been avoiding that decision.
Dr. Sarah Lin, the child psychologist working with both children, finally recommended a short supervised meeting.
“No explanations about biology.”
Ryan nodded.
“No discussion of Claire.”
He nodded again.
“No telling Ethan he has to love her because she’s his sister.”
Ryan frowned.
“I wouldn’t.”
Dr. Lin looked at him.
“You come from a family where blood is treated like obligation.”
That landed.
The meeting happened in the backyard.
Emma held a coloring book.
Ethan carried the stuffed dinosaur he slept with when he was younger.
He put it on the table.
“You can use him.”
Emma looked at it.
“Why?”
“If you get scared.”
She thought.
Then moved it closer.
Neither child talked much for ten minutes.
Then Emma asked:
“Did you give me bread?”
Ethan nodded.
“Thanks.”
That was enough.
Ryan watched through the kitchen window.
Julia entered behind him carrying another file.
“Harbor Risk has an owner.”
Ryan turned.
“Who?”
“Indirectly.”
The LLC belonged to North Bridge Management.
North Bridge belonged to a trust.
The beneficiary of that trust was Claire’s older brother, Michael Graves.
Ryan knew Michael.
Former insurance executive.
Occasional family consultant.
Not someone Ryan trusted with four million dollars.
“Claire’s brother.”
“Yes.”
“Does Michael know about Emma?”
“We don’t know.”
“How much money reached him?”
“About three point one million after Tessa’s payments and operating expenses.”
Ryan felt something colder than anger.
Julia continued.
“Some of it came back out.”
“To where?”
“A real-estate investment company.”
“Owner?”
“Claire.”
There it was.
Claire had not merely spent trust money keeping Emma away.
She had benefited financially from the system.
Ryan asked:
“How much?”
“Approximately one point four million can be traced to assets she controls. More may have gone elsewhere.”
That transformed the motive.
Protecting Ethan’s future voting power may have begun the secrecy.
But secrecy itself had become profitable.
Julia looked at him.
“We still need to prove she knew the source.”
Ryan nodded.
No shortcuts.
That evening Claire’s attorney proposed mediation.
Claire wanted to explain the Harbor Risk arrangement privately.
Ryan almost agreed.
Then Julia asked one question.
“Why privately?”
Ryan looked at her.
“If her explanation is legitimate, it survives documentation.”
May you like
He declined.
For the first time, Claire’s version would have to exist somewhere she could not rewrite it later.
