Chapter 6: The Threat They Made Before the Slap
Richard Bennett had heard threats before.
He had received letters from competitors, angry calls from former business partners, and anonymous warnings during hostile negotiations.
But nothing had frightened him quite like watching his daughter struggle to explain why someone had been standing outside her home.
“Start from the beginning,” he said gently.
Nia adjusted Amara in her arms.
“It was last Tuesday.””
Richard pulled his chair closer.
“Where were you?””
“At home. I had just finished feeding Amara.””
Nia paused.
“I heard someone knocking.””
James opened his notebook.
“Did you know the person?””
“No.””
“What did he look like?””
“Tall. Maybe forty-five. Dark hair. He wore a navy coat and carried a black leather folder.””
Richard listened carefully.
Nia continued.
“He said he was working with your company's legal department.””
James frowned.
“Did he identify himself?””
“He showed me a business card.””
“Do you still have it?””
“I think so. It's in my diaper bag.””
She reached inside and pulled out a small folded card.
James examined it.
The card carried the logo of Bennett Holdings.
But the name printed beneath it was unfamiliar.
*Daniel Price — Senior Corporate Liaison.*
James turned it over.
There was no office number.
No direct extension.
No official company address.
“Richard,” he said quietly, “I've never heard of this person.””
Nia looked surprised.
“He said he worked for you.””
Richard shook his head.
“We'll verify his identity.””
James placed the card inside a protective document sleeve.
“What did he want you to sign?””
Nia looked down.
“A statement saying I had no interest in the foundation, no intention of taking a leadership role, and no claim against Bennett Holdings.””
Richard's forehead creased.
“Why would you need to sign something like that?””
“He said the company was concerned about a potential family dispute.””
James exchanged a look with Richard.
“Did he explain what kind of dispute?””
Nia shook her head.
“He said there were people who thought you were giving me too much influence.””
Richard leaned back.
“Did he mention Martin?””
“No.””
“Victoria?””
“No.””
Nia took a breath.
“He told me that if I signed the document, everyone could move forward peacefully.””
Richard's hands tightened.
“And if you refused?””
“He said people might start asking questions about your ability to manage the company.””
Richard stared at her.
Nia continued.
“He said the board might reconsider your position. He also said your reputation could be damaged if anyone believed you were putting your family above the company.””
James closed his notebook.
“That sounds like an attempt to obtain a coerced waiver.””
Richard looked toward him.
“Could it have been legally binding?””
“Not necessarily. But it could have been used to create the appearance that Nia voluntarily withdrew from the proposed appointment.””
Nia looked confused.
“So they wanted me to sign something that would make it seem like I didn't want the position?””
“That's one possibility,” James replied.
Richard stood and walked toward the window.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Nia looked down.
“Because I didn't want to make things harder for you.””
He turned.
“Nia.””
She looked at him.
“You are never a burden.””
Her eyes filled.
“Dad, I know how much this company means to you. I know how many years you've spent building it. I didn't want you thinking I was bringing trouble into your life.””
Richard came back and knelt beside her chair.
“You are my daughter. You are not trouble.””
He gently touched Amara's blanket.
“And nobody gets to threaten my family because they want a bigger office or a bigger bank account.””
Nia wiped her eyes.
“I should have told you.””
“Yes,” Richard said softly.
“But we're going to deal with it now.””
James returned to his laptop.
“I want to check whether Daniel Price has any connection to our company.””
He entered the name into the corporate directory.
Nothing appeared.
He searched the contractor records.
Nothing.
Then he checked the visitor management system.
His eyebrows rose.
“That's interesting.””
Richard turned.
“What?””
“Daniel Price has visited Sterling Tower four times in the past month.””
Nia sat up.
“Four times?””
James nodded.
“All four visits were authorized through the finance department.””
Richard looked toward the door.
“Martin.””
James opened the records.
“The visitor approvals were submitted by Martin Shaw's office.””
Richard stared at the screen.
“Get Angela back in here.””
James called her immediately.
Within minutes, Angela returned.
She examined the visitor records.
“Do we have photographs from the lobby cameras?””
James nodded.
“I believe so.””
Angela contacted the security director.
A few moments later, a video appeared on her laptop.
The footage showed a man entering Sterling Tower.
He wore a navy coat.
He carried a black leather folder.
Nia leaned closer.
“That's him.””
Richard watched the man approach reception.
He exchanged a few words with the receptionist, then walked toward the executive elevators.
Angela paused the video.
“His visitor badge was issued under the name Daniel Price.””
James looked at the timestamp.
“Who was he meeting?””
Angela checked.
“Martin Shaw.””
Richard slowly sat down.
“Show me the rest.””
The video resumed.
Daniel entered the elevator.
Thirty-two minutes later, he returned to the lobby carrying the same folder.
But something was different.
He was no longer alone.
A woman walked beside him.
She wore a cream-colored coat and carried a small black handbag.
Nia leaned forward.
Her eyes widened.
“Wait.””
Angela paused the recording.
“What is it?””
Nia pointed toward the woman.
“I know her too.””
Richard looked at the screen.
“Who?””
Nia swallowed.
“She came to my apartment with him.””
James zoomed in.
The woman's face became clearer.
Richard stared.
He recognized her immediately.
“That's Caroline.””
Angela looked at him.
“Who is Caroline?””
Richard didn't answer.
James did.
“Caroline Bennett. Richard's younger sister.””
Nia looked at her father.
“Your sister?””
Richard's expression had become unreadable.
He hadn't spoken to Caroline in nearly five years.
Their relationship had collapsed after a bitter dispute over the inheritance of their mother's estate.
Caroline had believed Richard was controlling too much of the family wealth. Richard believed she had attempted to manipulate their mother's trust for personal gain.
They had stopped speaking.
Until now.
Richard stared at the paused footage.
“Why was my sister meeting Martin?””
James opened another record.
“There's more.””
He pulled up a company registration document.
Daniel Price was listed as a director of a consulting company.
The company's primary shareholder was Caroline Bennett.
Richard closed his eyes briefly.
“Of course.””
Nia looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
James explained carefully.
“Your aunt appears to have a financial relationship with the same person who visited your apartment.””
Richard's voice was low.
“And Martin was authorizing his visits.””
Angela nodded.
“We'll need to establish exactly what they were doing.””
Richard stood.
“Find Caroline.””
James looked up.
“Richard, I recommend we proceed through counsel before contacting her.””
Richard turned.
“I'm not going to make a personal call. I want a formal request for an interview and preservation of all relevant records.””
James nodded.
“Understood.””
Nia shifted Amara.
“Dad, what if Aunt Caroline really is involved?””
Richard looked at his daughter.
“Then we'll find out.””
A soft knock came from the door.
Olivia entered.
“Mr. Bennett, I'm sorry to interrupt.””
Richard turned.
“What is it?””
“There's someone downstairs asking to see you.””
“Who?””
Olivia hesitated.
“She says she's your sister.””
Richard's face tightened.
Nia looked toward the door.
“Caroline?””
Olivia nodded.
“She says she needs to speak with you before the board meeting.””
Richard glanced at James.
“Did she say why?””
Olivia checked her notes.
“She said it's about the foundation.””
Richard walked toward the conference-room door.
“Bring her up.””
James immediately stood.
“Richard, we should have compliance present.””
“Agreed.””
Angela gathered her laptop.
Olivia left.
Nia watched her father.
“Dad, should I go somewhere else?””
Richard looked at her.
“No. You don't have to hide from anyone.””
He turned toward James.
“Make sure the meeting is recorded according to company policy.””
James nodded.
The elevator chimed outside.
Footsteps approached.
Then the conference-room door opened.
Caroline Bennett entered.
She was elegantly dressed in a cream coat, with a pearl necklace and perfectly styled dark hair.
She looked first at Richard.
Then at James.
Then her eyes landed on Nia.
For a moment, her expression softened.
“Nia.””
Nia didn't answer.
Caroline placed her handbag on the table.
“I wish we were meeting under different circumstances.””
Richard remained standing.
“Why did you send someone to my daughter's home?””
Caroline's face changed.
“I didn't send anyone.””
Nia spoke quietly.
“I saw you with him.””
Caroline turned toward her.
“You don't understand what happened.””
“Then explain it.””
Caroline looked at Richard.
“I came here because Martin has gone too far.””
James immediately opened his notebook.
Richard's voice was cold.
“What does that mean?””
Caroline lowered her voice.
“It means he wasn't supposed to threaten Nia.””
Silence filled the room.
Richard took one step toward his sister.
“Wasn't supposed to?””
Caroline realized what she had said.
She pressed her lips together.
Nia's eyes widened.
Richard stared at his sister.
“Then you knew about it.””
Caroline looked down.
“I knew he was going to speak with her.””
Richard's voice became dangerously quiet.
“And what exactly did you tell him to say?””
Caroline took a breath.
Before she could answer, her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
Then she quickly turned it face down.
James noticed.
“Ms. Bennett, who sent that message?””
“Nobody.””
“May we see it?””
“No.””
Richard looked at his sister.
“Caroline, if you came here to help, stop hiding things.””
She hesitated.
Then she slowly turned her phone around.
A message appeared.
Do not tell Richard about the original agreement. If you do, the entire succession plan collapses.
Richard read it.
Then he looked at Caroline.
“Original agreement?””
Caroline's eyes filled with tears.
She finally sat down.
“Nia,” she whispered, “there is something your father doesn't know.””
Richard pulled out the chair opposite her.
“What?””
Caroline looked directly at him.
“The plan to remove you from control of the company didn't begin last month.””
She paused.
“It began almost a year ago.””
Then she opened her handbag and removed a thick envelope.
On the front was Richard's full name.
Beneath it were four words.
*PRIVATE SUCCESSION AGREEMENT — ORIGINAL.*
Caroline placed it on the table.
“Your mother signed this before she died.””
Richard stared at the envelope.
His face lost all color.
May you like
Because his mother had been dead for six years.
And he had never seen that document before.