Chapter 2: The Name They Missed
For several seconds, neither of us moved.
The Lamborghini idled behind me.
Through the front window, I could see Margaret and Vanessa still staring.
But I was looking at Ethan’s phone.
“Hawthorne Acquisition.””
My surname was Hawthorne.
Ethan knew that.
What he didn’t know was what it meant.
“Where did your father get this?”” I asked.
“He forwarded me a document by accident.””
Ethan scrolled.
His expression changed.
“Whitmore Design Group is bidding on the Harbor Point redevelopment.””
My chest tightened.
Harbor Point.
Of course.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
“Claire?””
I closed my eyes briefly.
“Get in the car.””
“What?””
“Please.””
He climbed into the passenger seat.
I pulled away from his parents’ house without looking back.
For two blocks, Ethan remained silent.
Then he said, “Tell me.””
I kept my eyes on the road.
“My father’s name was Jonathan Hawthorne.””
“I know.””
“He founded Hawthorne Capital.””
Silence.
Ethan turned toward me.
“The Hawthorne Capital?””
“Yes.””
His voice dropped.
“The investment group?””
“Yes.””
“The company behind Harbor Point?””
“Partly.””
He stared at me.
I could almost see eleven months of memories rearranging themselves inside his head.
My vague answers.
My flexible schedule.
The calls I sometimes stepped outside to take.
The weeks I disappeared to London or Singapore and called them “work trips.””
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“I told you I worked in investment.””
“You said you worked with several companies.””
“I do.””
He laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“Claire, that’s like saying the president works in an office.””
I pulled into a quiet overlook beside the river and switched off the engine.
“Ethan, look at me.””
He did.
“I never lied to you.””
“No. You just left out something enormous.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
That question hurt because he deserved the answer.
“Because I’ve done it the other way.””
His anger softened slightly.
I looked through the windshield.
“After my father died, people treated me differently. Men especially. Suddenly, I wasn’t Claire anymore.
I was access. Capital. Connections.””
“I'm not those men.””
“I know.””
“Then why hide it from me?””
“Because I wanted to know that.””
He looked away.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Ethan asked, “What exactly is your position?””
I hesitated.
“Chairwoman.””
His head snapped toward me.
“Of Hawthorne Capital?””
“Yes.””
“Claire.””
“I know.””
“How big is the company?””
“That depends how you measure it.””
He stared.
“That answer is terrifying.””
Despite everything, I laughed.
So did he.
Then his phone buzzed again.
This time it was Margaret calling.
Ethan declined it.
She called again.
Declined.
Then Vanessa.
Declined.
Finally, Richard.
Ethan stared at the screen.
“Answer it,” I said.
He put the call on speaker.
“Dad?””
“Ethan, where are you?””
“With Claire.””
A pause.
“Is her surname Hawthorne?””
Ethan looked at me.
“Yes.””
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then Richard spoke carefully.
“Jonathan Hawthorne’s daughter?””
“Yes.””
Richard exhaled.
“Oh, God.””
Ethan frowned.
“What?””
“Come back.””
“No.””
“Ethan, please. I need to speak with Claire.””
“Why?””
Richard lowered his voice.
“Because Whitmore Design has spent fourteen months preparing a proposal for Harbor Point.””
“I know.””
“No, you don’t understand. Hawthorne Capital is leading the investment consortium.””
Ethan slowly looked at me.
Richard continued.
“The final presentations are Thursday.””
My phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
My chief operating officer.
Daniel Price.
I answered.
“Daniel?””
“Sorry to bother you tonight, Claire. We have a situation.””
“What kind?””
“The Harbor Point finalist list.””
I glanced at Ethan.
“What about it?””
“One of the firms has a conflict disclosure problem. Whitmore Design Group.””
Ethan went pale.
“What problem?””
Daniel hesitated.
“You’re on speaker?””
“Yes.””
“We received information that someone connected to Whitmore may have improperly accessed confidential competitor materials.””
Richard’s voice exploded from Ethan’s phone.
“That is absolutely false.””
Daniel went silent.
I rubbed my forehead.
“Daniel, I’ll call you back.””
I disconnected.
Ethan stared at his phone.
“Dad?””
Richard sounded shaken now.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about.””
“Who had access?””
“Several people.””
“Who?””
Another silence.
Then, faintly in the background, I heard Vanessa.
“Dad?””
I looked at Ethan.
He had heard it too.
“Vanessa works for Whitmore Design?”” I asked.
Ethan’s face hardened.
“She started six months ago.””
I remembered Vanessa’s questions at dinner.
Where did I live?
What did I do?
Who did I know?
Maybe they had only been rude questions.
Maybe not.
“Claire,” Richard said, “please come back to the house.””
I should have refused.
Instead, twenty minutes later, I was walking through the same front door.
Margaret was waiting.
But everything had changed.
“Claire!”” she said brightly.
“You should have told us!””
Her voice was suddenly warm.
Too warm.
She reached for my arm.
I stepped aside.
“I’m still wearing the same clothes, Margaret.””
Her smile faltered.
Richard almost coughed.
Ethan stared at the floor.
Vanessa stood near the fireplace.
She looked nervous.
Richard led us into his study.
“There has clearly been a misunderstanding tonight.””
“Which misunderstanding?”” I asked.
“The one about my clothes or the one about your bid?””
Margaret flushed.
“Claire, I apologize if I seemed—”
“Disappointed?””
Silence.
I turned toward Richard.
“Tell me about the confidential materials.””
“I don’t know anything about them.””
“Does Vanessa?””
Everyone looked at her.
Vanessa crossed her arms.
“Why are you looking at me?””
Ethan stepped closer.
“Because you work on Harbor Point.””
“So?””
“Did you access competitor documents?””
“No!””
Richard frowned.
“Vanessa.””
“I said no.””
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Daniel.
*We traced the leaked files. You need to see this immediately.*
Below it was a screenshot.
An email address.
I enlarged it.
My pulse slowed.
The address belonged to someone in the room.
But it wasn’t Vanessa.
May you like
I raised my eyes.
And looked directly at Margaret.
