CHAPTER 4 — THE SECRET CAROL BURIED
CHAPTER 4 — THE SECRET CAROL BURIED
The room fell silent.
Megan slowly pushed the audit aside.
"What settlement?"
Gerald inhaled deeply.
"It concerns your father."
"My father died eight years ago."
"Yes."
"This happened before he died."
Samuel removed his glasses.
"He ordered us never to tell you."
"Why?"
"Because he believed you were happy."
Megan's pulse quickened.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Samuel slid another file across the polished table.
Unlike the audit, this folder was old.
The edges were worn.
A faded label read:
PRIVATE – NOT TO BE OPENED WITHOUT CHAIRWOMAN AUTHORIZATION
Her hands shook as she lifted the cover.
Inside sat a single photograph.
Her father.
Standing beside Carol Walker.
They weren't smiling.
They looked furious.
Behind the photograph...
A signed legal agreement.
The date caught Megan's attention immediately.
Three weeks before her wedding.
She looked up.
"What is this?"
Samuel answered quietly.
"Your father tried to stop the marriage."
The words struck like thunder.
"What?"
"He hired investigators."
"They discovered Jack was involved with another woman."
Megan's breathing stopped.
"No..."
"He confronted Carol."
"He demanded the wedding be canceled."
Her eyes darted back to the document.
"So why didn't he tell me?"
Gerald's voice grew heavy.
"Because Carol begged him not to."
Megan stared.
"She promised Jack had ended the affair."
"She swore her son truly loved you."
"And the settlement?"
Samuel's expression darkened.
"Carol threatened a public scandal that could destroy Walker Holdings during its biggest merger."
"So your father..."
"...paid her two million dollars."
"Not to buy silence."
"To buy time."
"He hoped Jack would change."
Megan closed her eyes.
"He never did."
"No."
Samuel looked toward the city skyline.
"He simply became better at hiding it."
Before anyone could speak again...
Gerald's phone rang.
He answered.
His face lost all color.
"What happened?"
A frantic voice echoed through the speaker.
"It's Jack."
"He forced his way into the Florida condominium this afternoon."
"The envelope your father left..."
"...is gone."
Megan slowly stood.
"The envelope was opened?"
"Yes."
"And according to building security..."
"...Jack read the contents for less than thirty seconds."
"What was inside?"
The man on the phone whispered,
"We don't know."
"But after reading it..."
"...he collapsed to his knees."
"...and started crying."
For the first time since the airport...
Megan felt something stronger than anger.
Fear.
Because whatever her father had hidden inside that envelope...
May you like
Had broken Jack in less than half a minute.
And she still had no idea why.
