“My family owns a company too. Even if she’s not interested, she can’t just throw around baseless accusations,” she complained, her voice rising.
Samuel’s temper flared. “Is she out of her mind? She actually went to the police? She has no evidence. The cops won’t even take her seriously.”
Laura stomped her foot in frustration. “Don’t forget she’s a lawyer. She could twist anything to her advantage.”
Samuel tried to soothe her. “Alright, I understand. She’ll come around in a few days. I’ll talk to her then.”
*****
Whitney returned to her position at PrimeBridge Law Firm after her brief hiatus.
Frank noticed her slightly gaunt appearance and asked with concern, “Whitney, are you alright? The Harris Group’s acquisition case is on hold until next week. Why not take a few more days to rest?”
Whitney offered a wry smile, shaking her head. “I’ve already been gone a week. I can’t leave everything in limbo indefinitely.”
Her plate was full, and she couldn’t afford to wallow in despair.
Ivan called both her and Frank into his office. “Whitney, how are you holding up? What’s your headspace like?”
“I’m good. I’m ready to tackle whatever comes next,” Whitney replied, her determination shining through.
“Excellent. You and Frank will be heading to NextSphere Electronics this afternoon for due diligence,” Ivan instructed….
Whitney and Frank responded in unison, “Got it.”
*****
NextSphere Electronics was a family-owned business that had been in the electronics industry for a decade, and now they were finally at the stage where a comprehensive due diligence review was necessary.
With office politics tangled like a web, conducting due diligence here promised to be anything but straightforward.
For instance, the head of finance happened to be the CEO’s uncle.
As soon as Whitney stepped inside, the man made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t inclined to cooperate.
“Mr. Reese, Ms. Moore, here are the company’s financial statements for the past five years. As for the contracts you requested, they’re all archived. We’re not permitted to disclose those,” he said, his tone deliberately unhelpful.
Whitney remained unfazed. “Your business department should have copies on file. Would you mind asking your colleagues to send us a copy?”
“The business department is swamped. They really don’t have time to dig up contracts for you. Honestly, you won’t get through all these statements today anyway. Just come back tomorrow when they’re less busy,” he replied, dismissing her.
The most significant challenge during due diligence often arose when the other party refused to cooperate and provide the necessary documents.
Frank offered her reassurance. “Let’s just start with what we have for now.”
By four in the afternoon, after wrapping up their tasks, Whitney arrived at the business department with ten cups of coffee in hand. The business director, Mara Ellison, happened to be present.
“Ms. Ellison, we’re from PrimeBridge Law Firm, managing the Harris Group’s acquisition process involving your company. Could your business assistant help us organize the contracts for your top ten clients by sales over the past five years?” Whitney requested.
Mara was incredibly accommodating, her demeanor friendly and approachable. Everything was digital these days, so they always had the sales data securely backed up.
Less than an hour later, the information was already in Whitney’s inbox.
She thanked her with a genuine smile before leaving NextSphere Electronics alongside Frank.
Frank gave her a thumbs-up. “Nice job. You got the info so quickly.”
Whitney returned the gesture with a faint smile. “I know. And guess what I discovered.”
“What’s that?” Frank asked, intrigued.
“It turns out the finance director and the business director were actually married. They divorced two years ago, and now their departments are at odds,” Whitney revealed….
Frank’s eyes widened in realization. “No wonder he wasn’t eager to help us track down those contracts from the business team.”
As they exited the office building, Whitney checked her phone and noticed Samuel’s name flashing on the screen.
“Not going to answer?” Frank inquired, raising an eyebrow as he observed her decline the call.
“Just some spam. Not worth my time,” Whitney replied with a shrug.
“Come on, let’s head back for today. We’ll swing by again the day after tomorrow,” she suggested.
Once Whitney settled into the car, she glanced at her phone and saw a text from Samuel.
[Whit, don’t be so stubborn. Go withdraw your case at the station.]
Whitney shot the message a cold glance before deleting it immediately.
‘Bet they didn’t consider this when they spiked my drink,’ she thought, a steely resolve forming within her.
Whitney took a deep breath, her heart racing as she deleted the message from her father. The moment she stepped downstairs, however, reality hit her like a freight train. There, parked outside, was Samuel’s sleek car, flanked by his entourage, all of them waiting for her with a palpable tension in the air.
Frank, her ever-curious colleague, cast a quick glance at the impeccably dressed man. “Whitney, is that your dad?” he asked, his voice laced with genuine intrigue.
With a gentle sigh, Whitney replied, “Frank, you head on up and let Ivan know I’ll be a little late.” Her tone was calm, but inside, a storm was brewing as she made her way toward Samuel’s car, her heart heavy with the weight of their strained relationship.
“Whit, did you see the message I sent you?” Samuel’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and demanding.
A faint smile flickered on Whitney’s lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I saw it. And I deleted it,” she said, her voice steady, but her insides churned with resentment.
“What?” Samuel’s expression shifted to one of immediate fury, his brows knitting together in disbelief.
“You’re getting more and more rude these days. You just ignore your own father’s messages now?” he snapped, his voice rising in indignation.
Whitney scoffed, the bitterness in her voice unmistakable. “So you think I’m being rude? Let’s talk about your wife. She drugged me and tried to have her own nephew assault me. And you, my dad, want me to act as if nothing happened?” Each word dripped with contempt, the memories of that night flooding back like a tidal wave.
“I couldn’t let this go. Why should I drop the charges?” she shot back, her voice firm and unwavering.
Samuel was caught in a whirlwind of confusion. He had no idea what had transpired; his daughter and his wife were painting two completely different pictures of the same event.
Frowning, he replied, “You were drugged? Laura would never do something like that. Are you sure it was not a mistake?” His voice wavered slightly, betraying his inner conflict.
“A mistake? Wasn’t it she who drugged me, shoved me into a car, and kept me locked up last time? So now she’s magically innocent?” Whitney’s voice rose, her anger boiling over.
“Or maybe you knew everything, and you’re just covering for her?” she challenged, her eyes narrowing as she faced him.
Samuel hissed under his breath, frustration evident in his tone. “Don’t be ridiculous. She just told me she wanted you two to meet up. How was I supposed to know anything else?”
“Look, I really think this is all just a misunderstanding. At worst, her nephew can just say sorry, and we’ll call it even,” he said, attempting to downplay the gravity of the situation as if it were a minor inconvenience.
Whitney felt a surge of anger swell within her, her voice dropping to an icy whisper. “Dad, you’d rather trust someone else than your own daughter, huh?” The betrayal stung more than she cared to admit.
Samuel shot back, “This someone else is Laura, and she’s my wife. She’s the woman I’ve shared my life with for more than twenty years!” His voice was filled with a mix of anger and loyalty, but Whitney could only see the blind loyalty he had for her mother.
With a cold laugh, she replied, “No way I’m dropping the case. The evidence is airtight. Instead of wasting your breath trying to convince me, you’d be better off hiring him a decent lawyer.” The finality in her voice left no room for negotiation.
“Otherwise, when he spills the truth about your wife, and it blows up in the media, your company’s stock will nosedive again,” she added, her tone sharp and unforgiving.
Whitney turned on her heel, striding away with determination, unfazed by the helpless rage that echoed behind her. After Patricia’s death, she had felt utterly alone, with no one left to call family.
And Samuel? He was a constant reminder of selfishness and the façade of paternal love that felt more like a betrayal than a bond.
Back at the law firm, Whitney and Frank dove into their work, pouring over documents late into the evening, meticulously analyzing every detail for potential legal pitfalls. Once they were satisfied with their findings, they sent everything over to Ivan’s inbox, their day finally coming to a close.
At 7:30 PM, Frank suggested, “Hey, want to grab some sushi downstairs to tide us over?” His tone was casual, but Whitney could feel the weight of her day still pressing down on her.
She glanced at her phone, the caller ID flashing with a familiar name, and politely declined. “Not tonight, thanks.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.