Chapter 11 - DEREK’S COUNTERATTACK
Derek was not finished.
He still owned shares.
He still had allies.
And he still understood one thing better than almost anyone.
How to weaponize fear.
Three months after Ethan took operational control, a confidential internal report was leaked.
It suggested Northstar had received unusually favorable contracts during the restructuring.
The story spread quickly.
Derek accused Ethan of using the crisis to enrich himself.
Federal regulators asked questions.
Board members panicked.
Ethan ordered an immediate independent audit.
Rebecca handled it personally.
For ten days, reporters waited outside their home.
Aria was followed by photographers near school.
That ended when Olivia walked directly toward the cameras.
“My daughter is twelve.”
Her voice was calm.
“You want to photograph adults walking into court, go ahead.”
“You follow a child again, we will involve law enforcement.”
The photographers backed away.
The audit eventually cleared Northstar.
Every contract had been priced below market.
Ethan had actually cost his own company money.
But before the report became public, another crisis exploded.
A warehouse caught fire.
Then another.
The second fire destroyed archived shipping records connected to one of the shell companies under federal investigation.
Investigators suspected arson.
No one could prove who ordered it.
Ethan believed he knew.
Derek.
Olivia noticed the change in him.
He became obsessed.
He slept four hours a night.
He checked security cameras constantly.
He began driving past Aria’s school to make sure nobody was watching.
“You’re disappearing again,” Olivia told him.
“I’m protecting you.”
“No.”
She stood between him and the front door.
“You’re becoming afraid of losing us.”
“There is a difference.”
“Not from where I’m standing.”
Ethan looked at her.
Olivia touched his face.
“We survived the staircase.”
“We survived losing everything.”
“We survived your father.”
“We are not going to spend the rest of our lives acting like Derek is hiding behind every tree.”
Ethan exhaled.
“What if he is?”
“Then we deal with him when he steps out.”
She kissed him.
“But until then, come have dinner with your daughter.”
Ethan followed her to the kitchen.
Halfway through the meal, his phone rang.
Detective Grant.
Ethan answered.
Grant no longer worked the original assault case.
He was now attached to a state investigative task force.
“We found something at the second warehouse.”
“What?”
“A partial security recording.”
Ethan stood.
“Of Derek?”
“No.”
Grant paused.
“Of someone meeting Derek.”
“Who?”
“Martin Crowe.”
Ethan’s stomach dropped.
Martin had been their most important witness.
Grant continued.
“The recording was made two days before the fire.”
“What were they doing?”
“We don’t know yet.”
Ethan looked at Olivia.
The fear returned immediately.
If Martin had gone back to Derek, every investigation could be compromised.
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The next morning, Martin disappeared.
This time there was blood in his car.
