{"id":10373,"date":"2026-09-13T16:01:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T16:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2026-09-13T16:01:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T16:01:52","slug":"part-14-the-hidden-shareholder-agreement-explained-davids-real-motive-but-it-also-proved-dad-had-offered-him-one-last-chance-before-he-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=10373","title":{"rendered":"PART 14 \u2013 The Hidden Shareholder Agreement Explained David\u2019s Real Motive, but It Also Proved Dad Had Offered Him One Last Chance Before He Died"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Samuel read the shareholder agreement twice.<\/p>\n<p>Then a third time.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody interrupted.<\/p>\n<p>I remained crouched beside the open wardrobe while Thomas held the false bottom upright.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah stood behind him.<\/p>\n<p>Mom had gone pale.<\/p>\n<p>Finally Samuel lowered the document.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis agreement is old.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow old?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwenty-one years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDavid owned fifteen percent for twenty-one years?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to this, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRichard gave him shares when the company expanded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew he had some ownership. I didn\u2019t know how much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy hide it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrivate companies often have ownership arrangements that aren\u2019t publicly obvious. The question is why Richard hid this copy here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I pointed toward the ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe that tells us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel opened it.<\/p>\n<p>The first entries were decades old.<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s handwriting.<\/p>\n<p>Capital contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Early loans.<\/p>\n<p>Equipment purchases.<\/p>\n<p>Profit distributions.<\/p>\n<p>Then a second column appeared.<\/p>\n<p>MERCER EQUITY.<\/p>\n<p>David\u2019s fifteen percent.<\/p>\n<p>Dad had tracked every distribution David received.<\/p>\n<p>Millions over two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas whistled softly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was making that much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d Samuel said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why risk everything for Northbridge?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I knew the answer before anyone said it.<\/p>\n<p>Because having enough and wanting control were different things.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel continued reading.<\/p>\n<p>Near the final pages, Dad\u2019s handwriting became shakier.<\/p>\n<p>One entry was underlined.<\/p>\n<p>D.M. requested buyout at control premium. Refused.<\/p>\n<p>Another:<\/p>\n<p>D.M. proposes sale again. Says children will destroy business after me.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked away.<\/p>\n<p>That one hurt him.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe because David had not been entirely wrong about the danger.<\/p>\n<p>Dad had simply chosen a different solution.<\/p>\n<p>Another note:<\/p>\n<p>Offered D.M. fair redemption plus retirement package. Refused.<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Samuel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDad offered to buy David out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The number was written beside the entry.<\/p>\n<p>It was generous.<\/p>\n<p>More than generous.<\/p>\n<p>Enough that David could have retired extremely wealthy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe refused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel turned the page.<\/p>\n<p>Dad had answered.<\/p>\n<p>D.M. wants Northbridge valuation, not fair value.<\/p>\n<p>I frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge\u2019s acquisition offer valued the whole company at a strategic premium. If David\u2019s fifteen percent participated in a full sale, he could receive substantially more than if Richard simply redeemed his shares.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much more?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel calculated roughly.<\/p>\n<p>Several million dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas leaned against the wardrobe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo David wanted Dad to sell because his fifteen percent became worth more in an acquisition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat appears to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel pointed to another clause.<\/p>\n<p>The shareholder agreement contained restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>David could not freely sell his shares to an outside buyer without first offering them back to Dad or an approved family entity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Northbridge couldn\u2019t just buy David\u2019s fifteen percent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd David couldn\u2019t force Dad to sell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot under this agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I understood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe needed Dad to agree.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr he needed control to change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That was where Thomas came in.<\/p>\n<p>And Mom.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps Bennett.<\/p>\n<p>Dad\u2019s family had become leverage against his refusal.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah sat on an overturned crate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt gets worse every hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She shook her head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean Dad knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her voice cracked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe sat at Sunday dinner with all of us while this was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI knew some of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah turned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you still kept taking Northbridge money?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom accepted the blow.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah stood.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou keep saying things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. You weren\u2019t trapped at first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom looked at her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou chose the first payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe next?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the next?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen eventually you were trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Sarah\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Again, Mom didn\u2019t defend herself.<\/p>\n<p>I looked back at the ledger.<\/p>\n<p>Near the final page, Dad had written:<\/p>\n<p>If David accepts redemption, resolve quietly. If he refuses after disclosure, activate transfer plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat disclosure?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel turned another sheet.<\/p>\n<p>A copy of a letter.<\/p>\n<p>Dad to David.<\/p>\n<p>Dated thirteen days before Dad died.<\/p>\n<p>David,<\/p>\n<p>I know about Northbridge, Redwood, Thomas\u2019s payments, and Helen\u2019s account.<\/p>\n<p>The letter continued.<\/p>\n<p>Dad said he had enough evidence to understand that David had been involved in creating the acquisition pressure.<\/p>\n<p>But he also wrote something unexpected.<\/p>\n<p>He offered David a final exit.<\/p>\n<p>Resign.<\/p>\n<p>Sell the fifteen percent back at an independently appraised value.<\/p>\n<p>Return any improper payments.<\/p>\n<p>Cooperate in unwinding Northbridge contracts.<\/p>\n<p>Dad would not pursue further action unless legally required.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was going to let him walk?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot exactly. He was offering a negotiated resolution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe betrayed Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Dad still offered him millions?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRichard wanted to protect the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I understood.<\/p>\n<p>Dad had not been trying to win.<\/p>\n<p>He had been trying to stop the damage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did David answer?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The next page contained his response.<\/p>\n<p>Short.<\/p>\n<p>Formal.<\/p>\n<p>He denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p>Rejected the redemption.<\/p>\n<p>Requested a full board discussion.<\/p>\n<p>Then Dad\u2019s handwritten note:<\/p>\n<p>He chose.<\/p>\n<p>Two words.<\/p>\n<p>No anger.<\/p>\n<p>No insult.<\/p>\n<p>Just consequence.<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Six days later Dad transferred sixty-one percent directly to me.<\/p>\n<p>The other twenty-four percent had apparently already been held for my benefit through the hidden structure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe activated the transfer plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel nodded.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas asked, \u201cWhy eighty-five percent?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel looked at the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo make David incapable of forming any controlling coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even if Mom inherited something.<\/p>\n<p>Even if Thomas was pressured.<\/p>\n<p>Even if Sarah was persuaded.<\/p>\n<p>David\u2019s fifteen percent could never become control.<\/p>\n<p>Dad had closed every door.<\/p>\n<p>Except one.<\/p>\n<p>Me.<\/p>\n<p>My phone rang.<\/p>\n<p>David.<\/p>\n<p>We all stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<p>I answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His voice sounded exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot far.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI needed time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo destroy records?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo run?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At least he admitted it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSamuel is here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I put him on speaker.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel said, \u201cDavid, where are you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSamuel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLocation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMargaret found the lower compartment, didn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at the wardrobe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRichard showed me that compartment twenty years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Bennett knew about a second key because you told him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>That was enough.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom covered her mouth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause after Richard died, Bennett called me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel asked, \u201cWhy would Bennett call you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wanted to know whether Richard had left evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat Richard kept important documents in the wardrobe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My grip tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Bennett search it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told him about the hidden compartment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you tell him about Box 317?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. I didn\u2019t know about that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sounded plausible.<\/p>\n<p>I asked, \u201cWhy did you leave today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Bennett called me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter Sarah spoke to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sarah looked sick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he say?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat you had enough documents to make everyone look guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour mother. Thomas. Me. Him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWere you afraid?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you\u2019re guilty?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David was silent.<\/p>\n<p>I let it sit.<\/p>\n<p>Finally he said, \u201cOf some things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat things?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI met Eric before I admitted it to Richard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI encouraged the acquisition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI created Mercer Advisory Group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI established the structure that became Redwood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom whispered, \u201cWhy did you make me beneficiary?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David heard her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHelen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat doesn\u2019t answer me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David breathed heavily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe acquisition needed a family connection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I felt sick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge wanted an ownership structure that would survive scrutiny if Richard questioned why it had so much information about Collins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you put Mom behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNominally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot at first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom closed her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEric said if Helen benefited financially, she would eventually protect the arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom whispered, \u201cHe was right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David did not disagree.<\/p>\n<p>I asked, \u201cDid you alter the company invoices?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Eric?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUsing Mom\u2019s laptop?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho stole it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBennett arranged that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The room went silent.<\/p>\n<p>Samuel leaned toward the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBe very careful, David.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have proof.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat proof?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmails.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSend them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Margaret agrees to meet me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel shook his head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I ignored him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Richard chose you to decide what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. Dad chose me to control the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the same thing now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere do you want to meet?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomewhere public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel whispered, \u201cAbsolutely not without counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I said, \u201cSamuel comes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Priya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you bring everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo deleted records.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen before you decide I\u2019m the villain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Dad\u2019s ledger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou helped create Northbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou used Mom as a shield.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou paid Thomas for confidential information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEric did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou knew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou tried to pressure Dad into selling the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David\u2019s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I also spent the last year trying to stop what I started.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That explained the returned money.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy should I believe that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Richard did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe last time we spoke, he told me he knew I was trying to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel looked surprised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t in his notes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it happened after his final letter to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe day before he went to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mom began crying quietly.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told him everything I knew about Eric and Bennett.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid he forgive you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The answer came immediately.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said forgiveness wasn\u2019t his priority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sounded exactly like Dad.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking sure the company survived us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Thomas.<\/p>\n<p>At Sarah.<\/p>\n<p>At Mom.<\/p>\n<p>At the old red wardrobe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Dad ask you to do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeep Northbridge believing the sale was possible until ownership was safely transferred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat would explain the current offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou kept negotiating.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven after Richard died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo keep Eric from realizing he had already lost.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I asked, \u201cWhen did he realize?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBennett told him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat happens now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn\u2019t good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David\u2019s voice lowered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I know what Eric will do next.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019ll stop trying to buy Collins Industrial Supply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause the acquisition was never his only way to make money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Samuel.<\/p>\n<p>David continued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthbridge has contracts with Collins worth millions. If the company suddenly challenges those contracts, Eric can claim breach, freeze payments, sue, and drag everything through court for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan he win?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I hated that word.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you have that changes that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe original Northbridge side agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Samuel went completely still.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat side agreement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe one Bennett drafted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David\u2019s voice hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt shows the acquisition scheme, the payment structure, and exactly how Northbridge planned to compensate the people helping force Richard into a sale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNames?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYours?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThomas?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thomas exhaled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She covered her face.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBennett?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A pause.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Eric?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I asked the question that mattered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho gets the largest payment if Dad\u2019s company is sold?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>David answered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBennett.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=10374\">Click here to continue reading: PART 15: Bennett Had Presented Himself as My Mother\u2019s Protector, but Dad\u2019s Evidence Showed He Had More to Gain Than Anyone From Our Family\u2019s Collapse<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Samuel read the shareholder agreement twice. Then a third time. Nobody interrupted. I remained crouched beside the open wardrobe while Thomas held the false bottom upright. Sarah stood behind him. &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10373"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10393,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10373\/revisions\/10393"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}