Chapter 9 - KRISTEN'S FOOTNOTE
Kristen had added the phrase because she believed it was true.
Months earlier, Derek told her Raymond had discussed “eventual liquidity” with Elaine.
Kristen prepared part of the Northline presentation as unpaid work.
She inserted:
Source: family discussions.
She had no meeting notes.
No email.
No direct conversation with Raymond.
She relied on Derek.
“That was reckless,” Raymond said.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you verify?”
“Because every time I asked questions, Derek said the family side was handled.”
“You knew I had never spoken to you about it.”
“Yes.”
“So why did you put it in writing?”
Kristen’s eyes filled.
“Because I wanted the deal.”
There.
Her motive.
Northline’s investment would professionalize the company.
Professionalization meant:
formal roles,
compensation,
less invisible spouse labor.
Kristen wanted a system where Derek could no longer tell her:
we’ll work it out later.
So she helped the transaction narrative look cleaner than reality.
Not because she wanted Raymond robbed.
Because she wanted her own ambiguity to end.
Raymond asked:
“Did you know Derek was using my electronic signature?”
“No.”
“Did you know he planned the inactive review?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know about the repurchase valuation?”
“Not the difference in price.”
She looked sick.
For the first time, Kristen understood that the structure benefiting her could reduce Raymond’s leverage materially.
She called Northline herself.
Told Graham the family-alignment slide relied on indirect information.
Graham suspended the process formally.
Derek exploded.
“You destroyed the deal.”
Kristen answered:
“No. I corrected the file.”
That sentence sounded familiar.
Raymond recognized the pattern:
the family had been treating correction as betrayal because incorrect information was useful.
Then Graham requested an independent ownership and governance review before Northline would ever reconsider.
Paige supported it.
Derek resisted.
Elaine voted yes.
Raymond voted yes.
Derek lost three to one.
The independent firm began reconstructing:
board approvals,
electronic signature permissions,
Northline communications,
inactive-status discussions,
and compensation promises.
The first week produced a surprise.
Raymond’s disputed withdrawal acknowledgment had not been drafted by Derek.
It had been drafted by Paige’s own law firm.
Paige looked stunned.
The drafting request came from:
Elaine Cole.
Raymond turned toward his mother.
“Why did you ask lawyers to prepare the paper you told Northline not to trust?”
May you like
Elaine whispered:
“Because I was afraid of something you still don’t know.”
