Chapter 6 - THE CLAIM HARRISON SIGNED
Harrison explained that North Coast’s offer undervalued Aurelia and required Daniel to surrender the provenance patents. He believed disclosure would frighten investors and invite a hostile campaign.
“You protected us by keeping us ignorant,” Daniel said.
Harrison looked away. “I thought I was buying time.”
Time had become a recurring disguise for fear.
The insurance carrier reopened the $18 million claim. If Aurelia knowingly misrepresented destroyed jewelry, the company faced repayment, penalties, and possible criminal referral.
Harrison’s signature made him the obvious target.
He admitted another fact. After Elise’s crash, he personally removed her jewelry case from police evidence with Daniel’s written permission. Daniel had been hospitalized with shock and signed several recovery authorizations without reading them closely.
Harrison delivered the case to Maren. He never inventoried it himself.
Daniel’s authorization could make him legally responsible too.
Victoria’s attorney released that document and claimed Daniel now blamed lower-level women for an insurance scheme he approved.
The accusation gained traction.
Daniel submitted to an interview with prosecutors and gave them his medical records from the crash. Sedatives explained his condition but did not erase his signature.
Lily stayed with Daniel’s sister while cameras gathered outside their apartment. She asked whether her father was going to jail.
“I don’t know,” Daniel answered honestly. “Signing something without understanding it can still cause harm.”
He did not promise the power of his name would protect him.
The independent gem laboratory found skin-cell DNA trapped beneath the necklace clasp. One profile belonged to Elise.
The second belonged to Jonah Price, the dead destruction technician.
Jonah had handled the real necklace.
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Three weeks before his death, he mailed a package to a former coworker with instructions to open it if Aurelia ever announced a sale.
Inside was a single synthetic diamond bearing Daniel’s supposedly uncopyable provenance mark.
