Chapter 12 - WHAT NORTHSTAR WAS REALLY BUYING
The sale review uncovered something more important than the school trap.
Northstar was not buying all of Carter & Hayes.
It wanted fifty-one percent.
Control.
Rebecca would keep her job for three years.
Daniel would cash out part of his shares.
Noah's trust would sell fourteen of its eighteen percent and keep four.
I had known almost none of that.
Why?
Because I had treated the company as Andrew's thing after he died.
Trust statements arrived.
I filed them.
Rebecca said the sale was good.
Daniel said it was low.
I chose whichever version aligned with whoever I was angry at that week.
That ended.
First Atlantic ordered a fresh valuation.
$94 million midpoint.
Northstar:
$86 million.
Low.
But not absurd.
Why?
Carter & Hayes faced a debt reset.
Three major clients accounted for forty-two percent of revenue.
One contract was ending.
Waiting carried risk.
Rebecca's argument was not fake.
Daniel's valuation concern was not fake either.
Then Andrew's Bluebird archive produced one final business note.
Northstar, if they come back: do not reject because I disliked them. Require independent valuation and job covenant.
Daniel stared.
“He considered them.”
Rebecca looked surprised too.
Andrew had not forbidden the sale.
He had required conditions.
Independent valuation.
Minimum two-year employment protection for design staff.
No forced sale of Noah's remaining shares before eighteen.
Northstar's current offer included none of that because nobody had shown them the note.
Rebecca said:
“I didn't know.”
Daniel looked at her.
“I believe you.”
That was new.
Northstar raised the offer.
$91 million.
Two-year employment floor.
No trust squeeze-out.
Still not the full valuation.
But real negotiation.
Then First Atlantic did something neither family faction wanted.
It refused to approve immediately.
Twenty-one-day market check.
Other bids allowed.
Rebecca hated delay.
Daniel disliked exposing the company.
I liked that neither got exactly what they wanted.
Then the outside cyber firm called Elliot.
The VOIP number used to impersonate me had one additional call before he dialed it.
7:51 a.m.
Outgoing.
Thirty-four seconds.
To:
Rebecca's chief of staff.
Rebecca went still.
“My chief of staff?”
Name:
Emily Larson.
Thirty-six.
Worked for Rebecca seven years.
Had access to family office schedules.
Removal drafts.
Northstar contacts.
School-service tokens.
Everything.
For one glorious minute, the mystery looked simple.
Then Emily produced her phone.
She had received the call.
No one spoke.
Thirty-four seconds of silence.
Then a man's voice said:
“Make sure Rebecca files before noon.”
Emily assumed it was Northstar counsel.
She never mentioned it.
Why?
Because Rebecca had already planned to file.
The caller had not changed anything.
Or so she thought.
The voice was male.
May you like
The woman who impersonated me to Elliot remained unidentified.
At least two people had touched the plan.
