Chapter 8 - The Leak Inside Blake’s Company
Blake’s investigation had begun eight months earlier.
Confidential proposals were reaching competitors before his board reviewed them.
Land near future Campbell projects was purchased days before public announcements.
Bids were undercut by companies that should not have known the numbers.
Blake suspected someone inside his organization.
He never imagined the trail would lead to Evelyn’s father.
Daniel presented the evidence the next morning.
A junior analyst at Campbell Global had been sending information to an outside consultant.
That consultant worked for Jonathan Mercer’s uncle.
The Mercer family passed selected information to Richard in exchange for construction partnerships.
Penelope’s marriage to Jonathan was designed to formalize the alliance.
The wedding was not only a celebration.
It was a public signal to banks, investors, and contractors that the Vale and Mercer empires were joining.
Richard needed Blake’s presence there.
For months, he had sent invitations that Blake ignored.
When he suspected Evelyn was connected to a wealthy man, Richard believed she could provide access.
“He wanted you to reveal me,” Blake told her.
Evelyn sat beside the windows overlooking the water.
“And when I refused, he punished me in front of everyone.”
“He expected your husband to be less powerful than him.”
Margaret twisted her hands.
“Richard said the wedding would save the company.”
Blake looked at her.
“Save it from what?”
“Debt.”
“How much?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret remembered arguments late at night.
Banks threatening to freeze accounts.
Richard promising that once Penelope married Jonathan, “the Campbell problem” would disappear.
Evelyn’s stomach tightened.
“Did Penelope know?”
Margaret looked away.
“She knew enough.”
Evelyn thought of her sister applauding beside the fountain.
Penelope had not merely enjoyed the humiliation.
She had helped stage it.
Celia entered holding a folder.
“We found the prenuptial agreement Richard pressured Margaret to sign thirty years ago.”
Margaret looked confused.
“There was no prenup.”
“There was,” Celia said. “But your signature appears to have been added last month.”
Richard was preparing to leave Margaret with nothing if his scheme collapsed.
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He forged a document making it appear she had waived every marital claim decades earlier.
👉 Richard’s cruelty had finally frightened Margaret into speaking, but Penelope was already working to destroy Evelyn’s credibility before she could expose the truth.
