Chapter 4 - THE WIFE WHO LOOKED GUILTY
Public opinion turned against Samantha before noon.
The recording leaked.
Not the whole investigation.
Just her voice.
Two million dollars.
Transfer it, and I activate the brakes.
By evening, national news called it the “Lamborghini extortion call.”
Derek appeared outside his attorney’s office with no tie and a bandage on his palm.
He did not call Samantha evil.
Too crude.
He said:
“I still care about my wife. I believe she is under enormous emotional stress.”
Smart.
Then:
“I want her to get help.”
Smarter.
He framed attempted murder as concern.
Samantha watched from Naomi’s office.
“Turn it off.”
Naomi did.
Then handed her a court filing.
Derek requested temporary suspension of Samantha’s voting authority pending mental-capacity review.
“He cannot do that.”
“He can request it.”
“Based on one call?”
“Based on the call, divorce conflict, and your messages.”
“What messages?”
Naomi showed her.
One from two months earlier:
If Derek touches Dad’s company again, I swear I’ll destroy everything he thinks he owns.
Real.
Another:
I’d rather burn the Lamborghini than let him take it.
Also real.
Samantha closed her eyes.
“Fantastic.”
“Context?”
“I was angry.”
“Exactly what he’ll say.”
Derek was using real pieces.
That made him dangerous.
Then Carter Performance’s CFO, Howard Price, called an emergency board meeting.
Howard had worked for Samantha’s father for twenty-five years.
He sounded gentle.
“Sam, the board needs stability.”
“You believe him?”
“I believe the company cannot survive a leadership war.”
“Not the same answer.”
Howard paused.
“No.”
The board voted to place Samantha and Derek both on temporary administrative leave.
Equal treatment.
Reasonable.
Then Howard announced that Blackridge had made an unsolicited offer to purchase three Carter Performance assets.
Samantha stared.
“What?”
The offer price was low.
Distress-level low.
If the board accepted, Blackridge could acquire some of the company’s most valuable properties while its two leaders were suspended.
Naomi looked at Samantha.
“The two million wasn’t the end of the plan.”
May you like
It had been seed money.
Blackridge was waiting for Carter Performance to become weak.
