Chapter 6: The Calm Before The Reckoning
Ethan's attorney was a woman named Patricia Hale.
She had handled his company's legal affairs for nine years and had the particular quality of becoming very still when the information in front of her was serious.
She was very still now.
She read through the bank records twice.
She looked at the printed stills from the security footage.
She reviewed Daniel's report on Marcus Teel without speaking.
Then she set everything down and looked at Ethan across her desk.
"You understand what this is," she said.
"Tell me in your words."
"This is a coordinated scheme to gain access to proprietary tender documents through a fabricated personal relationship.
That's corporate espionage at minimum.
Depending on what was actually transferred, it could be more." She tapped the bank records.
"The payments to Vivian are documented.
The connection between Marcus Teel and Gerald Marsh is documented.
Rachel's testimony, if she holds to it, closes the loop." She paused.
"The child endangerment is a separate matter and in some ways the most immediately actionable.
The footage is clear.
The behavior is documented over weeks."
"What do I do first?"
"Custody.
Today.
We file for emergency sole custody based on the footage and Lily's statements.
That's the most urgent piece." She picked up her pen.
"The criminal referral for the corporate matter goes to the authorities simultaneously.
We don't wait.
If Gerald Marsh hears that you've retained counsel and starts moving money or documents, we lose leverage."
"Vivian threatened me with company records."
"You said she was bluffing."
"My investigator believes so.
But I want to be certain before anything is filed publicly."
"Understood.
I'll have my team do an independent review of the 2019 and 2020 records before we file the corporate referral.
That gives us forty-eight hours." She made a note.
"Where is Vivian now?"
"At the house, as far as I know."
"Don't go back there without me or Daniel present.
Don't communicate with her directly.
If she contacts you, forward it to me immediately." Patricia looked up.
"And Ethan — if she contacts Lily in any way, I need to know within the hour."
"She won't get near Lily."
"Make sure of it."
He nodded.
Patricia set her pen down.
"There's one more thing.
Gerald Marsh.
He's going to find out quickly that this is unraveling.
Men like him don't wait to be cornered.
He'll either try to negotiate or he'll try to discredit you first."
"What does discrediting me look like?"
"Leaking something to the press.
Framing the divorce as a bitter dispute.
Painting you as the aggressor." She met his eyes.
"Is there anything in your personal life that he could use?
Anything that would look bad out of context?"
Ethan thought carefully.
"No."
"Are you certain?"
"I've been careful my whole life, Patricia.
Sometimes too careful." He looked at the footage still on her desk.
Lily on the marble floor.
"I wasn't careful enough about who I brought into my home."
Patricia was quiet for a moment.
"You protected your daughter the moment you knew," she said.
"That's what matters now."
He left her office at half past noon.
Daniel called while he was walking to his car.
"Gerald Marsh made two calls this morning," Daniel said.
"One to a PR firm.
One to a journalist at the financial desk of the city paper."
Ethan stopped walking.
"He's moving fast," Daniel said.
"So are we." Ethan got in the car.
"Tell Patricia.
She'll know what to do."
He sat for a moment before starting the engine.
His phone showed a new message.
Vivian.
*I think we should talk before this gets ugly.
Just the two of us.
No lawyers.
I can explain everything.*
May you like
He forwarded it to Patricia without responding.
Then he drove back to his mother's house, where his daughter was waiting, and where a small line of plastic animals was still arranged carefully on the living room rug.
