Chapter 10
CPOV
Later in the day we head back to the penthouse. I need to talk with Taylor and Sawyer about my plans to take Ana and Chris to Aspen. However, before I can do that, I need to return my mom's phone call. I can only assume that Carrick talked to her about his mess.
"Hi Mom, sorry I missed your call earlier, I was with Ana and Chris attempting to calm him down. Man, that kid has got a set of lungs on him." I aim for light conversation before the shit hits the fan.
"Oh, bless his little heart. At that age it's so hard to understand what they're feeling. All he can do is cry and all we can do is try to comfort him," Grace speaks from experience.
"So, what's up?" I inquire calmly.
"Your father came home earlier, sat me down and told me about this disaster he got himself into. I don't understand, Christian, this is not my husband…or your father. He told me that he got mixed up with some client of his who was looking to put a stop to a takeover by GEH. Is that how it started? What the hell was he doing representing such corrupt people that he'd involve himself in something that would harm you?" This is the calm before the storm...I know this Grace.
"Mom, all he said was that these assholes wanted to put a stop to GEH's purchase of The Fuller Company, and blackmailed him by threatening to harm you, Elliott and Mia. They wanted him to frame me for something I didn't do and then expose it through the press via Kate, that's how Ethan Kavanagh became involved. He said he felt there was no other option but to cooperate with them to keep you all from something bad happening."
"I will tell you that I have practically kicked him out of the house and definitely out of the bedroom. I told him not bother you kids specifically you and Ana. Of course, he didn't like that option, but until this can be remedied, I want nothing to do with him. I don't know what else to do. How do I forgive something like this. I mean, what man, in his right mind, would want to frame his own child? Do you know how dangerous these people are Christian? I mean, do I need to be concerned?" There is a fear in her voice and I don't want to make it worse, but she needs the truth.
"I have Welch and Taylor checking into these...these fuckers and find out as much as we can to get a better idea what we're dealing with. Right now, though, I'm increasing everyone's security; we can't risk anything. You, Mia, Elliott and Ana are getting extra protection. Until we know what they're up to, I'm not taking chances with anyone."
We talk for a few more minutes and I reassure her again that I'm handling it. She has a better understanding of how serious this is since I offered more details which my father conveniently left out of their discussion. I don't think I can ever forgive Carrick for what he did to me and Ana, but I'm not sure where my mom stands.
Carrick POV
To say I fucked up is an understatement. I never thought I would get caught; but, thanks to Ethan Kavanagh, I'm either going to end up dead or in jail, but at the very least my career is on the precipice of failure. I should have gone to Christian right away before I agreed to help that piece of shit Jack Hyde. When he began threatening my family I felt I had no option but to go along with it. Being backed into a corner, what choice did I have?
I need to speak with Christian and to try to get them to accept my apology. I haven't seen hide nor hair of Ethan which worries me. These men are bad news and if they got a hold of him, it's only a matter of time before they come after me. I could leave...get as far as possible from Seattle. Shit! That's not going to work. Grace is still my wife and I can't just up and leave her. Although I have a feeling it's going to take a fucking miracle for me to get back in her good graces or Christian's for that matter. I didn't say anything to Elliott or Mia; I'm sure Grace will fill them in.
I hear my phone buzzing. I pick it up to answer but decide otherwise since I don't recognize the number. It's probably Hyde or one of his buddies. I turn my phone off and begin gathering some clothes and my toiletries, so I can check into a hotel. I don't know how long I'll be there, but I want to give Grace some time before I start begging at her feet to take me back.
CPOV
I sit down on the sofa, next to Ana, and pull her close. She asks me about the company and why someone would do this to us. I explain to her that The Fuller Company is the holding company of C.H. Fuller which provides freight transportation services and logistics solutions. It's multimodal and operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. They have a sourcing service that buys and sells fresh produce and fruit. This acquisition is important to GEH because owning our own transportation company would drastically lower expenses when trying to ship food and supplies outside the U.S. The company has had endured management changes which resulted in questionable finances and they are ripe for the picking. We've been negotiating with the Chairman of the Board, who is the son of the founder, and the seven board members for several months and we're so close to signing on the dotted line.
Ana sits up and turns to face me, "I don't understand why someone would want to set you up over this company. You're in business to acquire underperforming companies, and if they are a sinking ship. No pun intended, why try and frame you when you're trying to help them?"
"By painting me in a bad light, they can demand more money or pull out of the deal altogether. There is a morality clause in all GEH contracts and it works both ways. There is another M&A company interested in them as well, so I suppose they were going to demand more money knowing GEH is easily ten times larger and more profitable," I explain.
"But why your father? That is the piece of the puzzle doesn't fit. Your dad is a corporate lawyer yes; but where does he fit in?" She is just as perplexed as I am. This gets me thinking how Carrick got sucked into this clusterfuck, and more so, how Ethan was involved.
Taylor enters the family room, interrupting my train of thought, to tell me that Welch has some information and will be calling in ten minutes. I grab Ana's hand to follow me into my office. She needs to know what is going on just as much as me. A few minutes pass when my phone rings.
I sit behind my desk, Ana sits next to me on the desk and swinging her legs, Taylor and Sawyer on the couch in front of me," What have you found out Tom?" Welch is the best in the business, so I'm sure he has dug deep to find what we need to remedy this situation.
"Well, Christian, we know that one of the board members is brothers with Jack Hyde. It appears that several of the board members are entangled in some embezzlement and they're out for a big pay day. Hence your father's involvement and Ethan Kavanagh. Jack Hyde is a client of your fathers when he was with Bain and he is the corporate attorney for them. Hyde's bank account, as well as the board members involved, show minimal deposits, so my search widened….if you know what I mean. We found several offshore accounts totaling $14 million," he explains.
"Wait, so Hyde's brother and these other board members who've been embezzling have $14 million to split amongst each other? And they want more from me?" Now that is some funny shit right there I think to myself.
"Yes, it appears that way. Hyde was adopted when he was six and has, for the most part, a clean history. As the CFO for Bain, he had access to your father, so he figured it would be the easiest way to get someone on board with their plan to push for more money. I did also find out that Ethan Kavanagh met your father while he was at Harvard and has sort of been mentoring him. Carrick found out that Ethan was having difficulty in law school due to his addiction to methamphetamine, amongst a few others. He is deep in debt to several people and your father saw this is a way to help bail Ethan out." Welch pauses for a moment.
I use this opportunity to speak, "My father never mentioned knowing Ethan Kavanagh...ever. Hyde was blackmailing my father why and do we know where Kavanagh is now?"
"Hyde was fired from Bain about six months ago. He approached his brother to help him financially and they concocted this little enterprise. Hyde then approached your father when he found out about GEH's acquisition of Fuller. They're not a smart bunch I can tell you. They've left bread crumbs for miles. It won't be difficult to turn this over to the authorities and garner a conviction. As far as Kavanagh is concerned, he seems to have fall off the face of the earth. His phone was last used just outside Seattle and that's it. How would you like me to proceed, Christian?" Welch is damn good at what he does, but we have to hold off, just a bit.
"Don't do anything just yet. Give me a day or so to speak with my family and with Ros to see where we are with the contracts for Fuller. I don't want to jump the gun and risk anything from a financial and criminal standpoint. I want that piece of shit Hyde and his cronies in jail, don't get me wrong; however, I must have a little conversation with my father first. Thanks for all your effort Tom. You are indispensable to me and to GEH. Keep digging and use Barney if needed."
ANA POV
I wonder if Kate has heard from her brother. Her family is not close, and Ethan has had issues in the past with drugs from what I remember, but even this seems out of character. I still don't understand why Carrick felt this was his only way out. He could have easily called the police himself before it got this big.
Taylor and Sawyer leave Christian's office, so it's just the two of us, "Babe, what is your plan with your dad? I mean, I know you are as upset as I am over this fiasco, but maybe something else is going on. Do you want me to go with you?" I offer, but I am certain he won't want me to.
"No, baby. I don't want you or the baby anywhere near him. I will deal with him and then I am going to find Kavanagh and he's going to find out that drugs is the least of his problem. Has Kate said anything about him lately?"
"No, she's not mentioned him at all. Ethan was never really very good about staying in touch. I used to think it was because he was so busy with school, but now I know otherwise. I really thought Ethan was a friend. Then I find out about the drugs, his plan with your father, and the fact he thought by helping him that he'd get me in the end. What the fuck was he thinking? I've never shown in interest in either him or Jose."
I'm not mentioning this to Kate until I know more. This will send her off the deep end; the straw that breaks the camel's back with Ethan so to speak.
As I leave Christian to his own devices, I go check on our son. As I come back with his son, I overhear Christian talking to Carrick and setting up a meeting.