Chapter 14 - The Man Behind Lone StarGregory Vale was fifty-eight.
A private investor.
A former developer.
And according to Ryan—
an old friend of his father's.
"How old?" Emily asked.
Ryan stared at Gregory's photograph on the laptop.
"Twenty years, maybe."
"Did Margaret know him?"
"Of course she knew him."
"How well?"
Ryan didn't answer.
Eleanor did.
"Too well."
Everyone turned.
The older woman's face had hardened.
Ryan frowned.
"Grandma?"
"Your father hated Gregory."
"I thought Dad invested with him."
"He did. Once."
"When?"
"Before you were born."
Eleanor sat.
"Gregory and Thomas started a project together. Gregory hid debt. Thomas discovered it and pulled out."
Ryan looked toward the screen.
"Why didn't I know?"
"Because it was old business."
Emily asked, "Did Margaret stay in contact with him?"
Eleanor hesitated.
"I think so."
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"Think?"
"After Thomas died, Gregory came to the funeral."
"I remember."
"He spent a long time talking to Margaret."
That alone meant nothing.
But nothing in this story remained alone for long.
Rebecca had already pulled Lone Star's corporate filings.
Gregory Vale owned forty percent.
Margaret owned thirty-five.
Several smaller investors owned the rest.
Ryan leaned back.
"Mom didn't invest in a random company."
"No," Rebecca said.
"She went into business with the man Dad warned her about."
"Apparently."
Emily looked at the filings.
"When did Margaret join?"
"Two years after Thomas died."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"How much did she put in?"
"Initial records show seven hundred thousand."
"That explains Dad's life insurance."
"Possibly."
"And then?"
"Losses."
Rebecca turned several pages.
"Instead of accepting them, Gregory and Margaret repeatedly added capital."
Emily understood.
"They kept trying to rescue it."
"Yes."
"Using Eleanor's money."
"Eventually."
Ryan stared at the table.
His father's letter echoed again.
She convinces herself almost anything is temporary and fixable.
Margaret had probably believed Lone Star would recover.
Then she'd return Eleanor's money.
Then no one would know.
Each loss required another lie.
Each lie required another document.
Then the baby created a deadline.
Then Eleanor noticed.
Then Emily offered to drive her to an attorney.
And Margaret had done something unforgivable to buy seventy-two more hours.
Ryan whispered:
"She wasn't protecting money."
Emily looked at him.
"She was protecting the story."
"What story?"
"That she could still fix everything."
Rebecca nodded slightly.
"That's common in financial fraud."
Ryan stared.
"Common?"
"People often don't begin by deciding to steal millions. They begin by deciding they'll borrow something they aren't authorized to borrow and replace it before anyone notices."
Emily thought about Margaret's words.
I was going to put it back.
Rebecca continued.
"Then reality doesn't cooperate."
Eleanor looked toward the window.
"And people get hurt."
"Yes."
Ryan's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Ryan Carter?"
"Yes."
"This is Gregory Vale."
Everyone froze.
Ryan looked at Rebecca.
She immediately signaled for him to put it on speaker.
Ryan did.
"What do you want?"
Gregory's voice was smooth.
Calm.
"To keep your mother from going to prison."
Ryan almost laughed.
"You're calling the wrong person."
"Margaret made mistakes."
"She poisoned my wife."
"I heard there was an incident."
"An incident?"
Emily watched Ryan's anger rise.
Rebecca shook her head.
Stay calm.
Ryan breathed.
"What do you want?"
"There's a financial misunderstanding that can be repaired."
"Six million dollars is a misunderstanding?"
"Most of that exposure isn't actual loss."
"How much is?"
Gregory paused.
"Less than you think."
"Then repay it."
"We can."
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"How?"
"By closing Lone Star's pending acquisition."
"What acquisition?"
Gregory hesitated.
"A buyer has offered to take the property."
Ryan looked at Rebecca.
She was writing.
"How much?"
"Enough."
"Then why did Mom need another two million?"
"Short-term liquidity."
Emily almost laughed.
Another temporary fix.
Ryan's voice hardened.
"What's the catch?"
"No catch."
"Gregory."
A pause.
"We need Eleanor to withdraw her fraud complaint."
Eleanor leaned toward the phone.
"Absolutely not."
Gregory went silent.
"Eleanor."
"Don't say my name like we're friends."
"Eleanor, everyone can walk away from this."
Emily watched the old woman straighten.
"Emily almost lost her baby."
"That was Margaret's decision, not mine."
Ryan's expression changed.
There.
Gregory had just separated himself.
Margaret's act belonged to Margaret.
But the money—
that was different.
Ryan asked:
"Did you know where Margaret was getting the capital?"
Silence.
"Gregory?"
"I assumed family resources."
"Did you know she was taking Eleanor's money?"
Another silence.
Rebecca wrote:
HE KNOWS.
Ryan continued.
"Did you know about the forged guarantee in my name?"
The line went quiet.
Then Gregory said:
"Your mother told me you approved it."
Ryan smiled bitterly.
"Then you're either lying or stupid."
Gregory's tone changed.
"Be careful."
Ryan became still.
Emily did too.
That was the first threat.
Not explicit.
But unmistakable.
Gregory corrected himself.
"I mean legally."
"No, you didn't."
"Ryan—"
"Talk to my attorney."
He ended the call.
Rebecca immediately saved her notes.
Eleanor looked toward Ryan.
"What now?"
Before he could answer, Emily felt a sudden tightening across her abdomen.
She stopped.
Ryan saw her face.
"What?"
Another wave came.
Emily grabbed the table.
"No."
Ryan rushed toward her.
"Emily?"
She breathed carefully.
The pain passed.
Then returned.
Stronger.
Emily looked at him.
Terror filled her eyes.
"Ryan..."
He grabbed his phone.
She shook her head.
"Wait."
Another contraction.
Ryan started timing.
Four minutes later—
another.
Emily's face drained.
The substance was gone from her system.
Margaret was gone from the house.
May you like
But the consequences had not ended with the poisoned dinner.
Their son was coming early.
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