Chapter 11 - What Natalie Didn't Know.
Evelyn stepped into an empty corridor and called Maya Patel.
Maya answered on the first ring.
"Are you at the Mercer wedding?"
Evelyn stopped walking.
"How do you know about that?"
"Because someone from Mercer Diagnostics just emailed Calder asking whether you had access to confidential partnership information during recruitment."
Evelyn closed her eyes.
The accusation had moved faster than she expected.
"I haven't started work yet."
"Exactly."
Maya said.
"You have no Calder systems access, no project files, and no internal partnership data."
"Who sent the email?"
"Grant Mercer."
Evelyn felt a strange mixture of hurt and disbelief.
Her father was trying to protect himself by suggesting her knowledge came from Calder.
"What did he say?"
"That you may be using proprietary information to interfere with a pending transaction."
Evelyn looked back toward the ballroom doors.
"I found trust records from Northbridge."
"Then keep those separate from anything connected to us."
Maya's voice remained professional but warm.
"And Evelyn, your offer is not being withdrawn."
Evelyn exhaled slowly.
"I didn't ask."
"I know."
"But you thought I might be worried."
"I would be."
Evelyn leaned against the wall.
"Thank you."
Maya hesitated.
"There is one thing I can tell you because it concerns your employment, not Mercer's review."
"What?"
"Your father called our recruiting office last week."
Evelyn stood straighter.
"Why?"
"He asked whether you were actually being considered for a position."
"How did he know?"
"He said a family acquaintance mentioned it."
Evelyn thought of all the people Grant knew through medical conferences.
"What did Calder tell him?"
"Nothing."
Maya said.
"We don't discuss candidates with relatives."
Evelyn almost smiled.
"Good."
"He called twice."
The smile disappeared.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because we assumed it was an overinvolved parent."
Maya paused.
"After his email tonight, I'm less comfortable with that assumption."
Evelyn ended the call and returned to the ballroom.
Natalie was waiting near the stage with James.
"Where's Dad?"
Evelyn asked.
"In the library with the board."
Natalie looked exhausted.
"Celeste is with him."
Evelyn told her about Grant's email to Calder.
Natalie's expression hardened.
"He is trying to make you look dishonest."
"He is trying to make the trust issue look connected to my job."
James shook his head.
"That makes no sense if the withdrawals happened before you were hired."
"It doesn't have to make sense tonight."
Evelyn said.
"It only has to create doubt."
Natalie looked toward the closed library doors.
"There is something else you should know."
Evelyn waited.
Natalie folded her arms around herself.
"Dad told me you skipped my engagement party because you were jealous."
Evelyn stared at her.
"I was in Boston presenting research."
"I know that now."
Natalie swallowed.
"He told me you said my job wasn't serious."
"I never said that."
"He told me you refused to be a bridesmaid."
Evelyn's face went still.
"You never asked me."
Natalie's eyes filled.
"I sent the invitation through Dad's assistant."
The sisters stared at each other.
A whole year of distance reorganized itself between them.
Evelyn remembered birthdays when Natalie seemed cold.
Natalie remembered messages Evelyn supposedly ignored.
Neither knew how many had been filtered, delayed, or reworded through a father who said he was keeping the peace.
"Why would he do that?"
Natalie whispered.
Evelyn did not answer immediately.
Then Margaret joined them.
"Because conflict made you easier to manage separately."
She said.
Natalie looked at her aunt.
"Did he do that to Mom too?"
Margaret's silence became an answer.
"Tell us."
Evelyn said.
Margaret's eyes moved toward the library.
"Susan wanted to leave Mercer Diagnostics years before she became ill."
Natalie's face changed.
"Mom worked there?"
"She helped create the screening platform your father built the company around."
Evelyn felt the floor tilt beneath her.
Grant had always described Mercer Diagnostics as his life's work.
Margaret continued.
"Susan's name was on the original research ownership documents."
Evelyn whispered.
"Where are they now?"
May you like
Margaret looked at both sisters.
"That is what Grant was most afraid I would bring tonight."
