Chapter 5 - The Billion-Pound Lie
Nathaniel did not shout.
That frightened Desmond more.
“Explain.”
Desmond straightened his jacket.
“Ashcombe Biotech is preparing to launch the Halcyon pediatric mobility platform.”
Nathaniel knew every number behind Halcyon.
Seven years of development.
Eight countries.
Potential valuation exceeding a billion pounds.
“What does Wren have to do with Halcyon?”
“She uses an early prototype.”
Nathaniel stared.
“No.”
Desmond said nothing.
Nathaniel turned to Willow.
She nodded slowly.
“The control architecture is similar.”
Nathaniel’s face hardened.
“My daughter was never enrolled in a trial.”
“She wasn’t,” Willow said.
Desmond added:
“Officially.”
Nathaniel crossed the room and unlocked a cabinet.
He removed Wren’s medical file.
Records.
Recommendations.
Specialist reports.
Then he saw the authorization form.
Ashcombe Biotech Pediatric Mobility Support Unit.
Signed.
Nathaniel Ashcombe.
He stared.
“I signed this.”
Desmond said, “You approved adaptive support equipment.”
“I did not approve experimental software.”
“You approved the device.”
Nathaniel looked at the final page.
The attachment references were missing.
“Where are the appendices?”
Desmond remained silent.
Nathaniel understood.
“You gave me an incomplete document.”
“I gave you the page requiring your signature.”
Nathaniel slammed the folder onto the desk.
Willow flinched.
Nathaniel immediately controlled himself.
“Who else knew?”
Desmond said, “Several people.”
“Names.”
“No.”
Nathaniel smiled slightly.
“You’ve worked for me eleven years and still don’t know when the negotiation is over.”
Desmond’s confidence cracked.
Nathaniel picked up his phone.
“Marcus.”
His security chief answered immediately.
“Sir?”
“Lock Desmond Kerr out of every company system. Freeze his building credentials. Have cybersecurity preserve every communication he has sent for the last seven years.”
Desmond stepped forward.
“You cannot—”
Nathaniel held up one finger.
“And contact the independent compliance chairman.”
Desmond stopped.
Nathaniel continued.
“Tell him I’m ordering an emergency review of Halcyon.”
Desmond said, “That announcement will destroy the launch.”
Nathaniel looked at him.
“Good.”
“You’re talking about billions.”
“I’m talking about children.”
“You’ll tank your own company.”
“Then perhaps it deserves to fall.”
Willow watched him differently now.
Desmond laughed.
“You think your board will let you?”
Nathaniel disconnected the call.
“I own forty-three percent.”
“You don’t control the remainder.”
“No.”
Nathaniel looked at the laptop.
“But I control the evidence.”
Willow stepped closer.
“Not all of it.”
Nathaniel turned.
“What does that mean?”
She opened the nursery archive.
“The camera system backs up automatically.”
“Yes.”
“The nursery camera captured audio whenever the motion sensor activated.”
Nathaniel frowned.
“And?”
Willow found a date from nine days earlier.
“I saw this while reviewing Wren’s exercises yesterday.”
The footage opened.
The nursery was dark.
Wren and Nora were asleep.
At 10:43 p.m., the door opened.
Lady Beatrice entered.
Nathaniel’s stomach dropped.
His mother was not alone.
Desmond followed.
They stood beside Wren’s bed.
The audio was low but clear.
Beatrice’s recorded voice filled the study.
“If Nathaniel discovers the prototype has been affecting her recovery, Halcyon is finished.”
Desmond replied:
“He won’t.”
“And the therapist?”
“Willow Hart?”
“Yes.”
“She’s getting suspicious.”
Beatrice lowered her voice.
“You said her old disciplinary record was enough.”
“It will be.”
“And if it isn’t?”
Desmond paused.
“Then she leaves for another reason.”
The video ended.
Nathaniel did not move.
Willow whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
“For what?”
“That it’s your mother.”
He stared at the dark screen.
Then the study door opened.
Lady Beatrice stood there.
She had clearly heard enough.
“Nathaniel.”
He turned toward her.
“How long?”
Beatrice closed the door.
“You need to understand—”
“How long?”
Her expression hardened.
“Since Wren began using the prototype.”
Nathaniel stared at his mother.
“You experimented on my daughter.”
“No.”
“I heard you.”
“We monitored her.”
“You changed her therapy settings.”
“To create consistent data.”
Willow looked horrified.
“She’s a child.”
Beatrice snapped:
“She is my granddaughter.”
“Then you should have protected her.”
“I protected everything Nathaniel built.”
Nathaniel laughed once.
“No.”
He stepped toward his mother.
“You protected a share price.”
Beatrice’s composure finally cracked.
“You think people like us survive by behaving sentimentally?”
Nathaniel looked at Willow.
Then at the paused image of Wren sleeping.
“No.”
He looked back at his mother.
“I think families like ours destroy themselves by calling cruelty strategy.”
Beatrice went still.
Nathaniel opened the door.
“Leave.”
Her eyes widened.
“This is my family home.”
“It belongs to me.”
“Nathaniel.”
“And starting tonight, you are no longer a director of Ashcombe Biotech.”
“You cannot remove me alone.”
“No.”
Nathaniel picked up the phone.
May you like
“But the footage can.”
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