Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 46461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
“That’s not what my dad would have wanted.” She shook her head. “I have no idea what charity Dad left his estate to, but it was always understood everything would go to the community. I knew this. So did my mom before she died. Dad never wanted me to rely on anything I hadn’t earned myself. He said it would make me stronger and able to survive if it was suddenly all gone.” She took in a shuddering breath. “He was right.” She looked up, meeting Thorn’s gaze with a determined one of her own. “I survived six months on my own. And without any of my dad’s money. I know it might not sound like much, but it feels like an accomplishment to me.”
“I know people who would have done worse.” Vicious smiled at her kindly.
“I mean, I know most of the jobs I’d had before were at my father’s offices and stuff, but I would have been content to use the skills I learned at similar jobs, but without an ID there was no way. And with my social security number flagged, I couldn’t get a new ID.” Her grip on my hand tightened, and she trembled slightly.
“You don’t have to explain,” I told her, looking at Thorn. “You did good.”
Thorn shot me an irritated glance before continuing. “What if I told you, word is your father’s will left everything to a corporation managed by your father’s attorney?”
She blinked several times. “That wasn’t… Do you know what corporation? I-I mean, the last time Dad spoke to me about it, he was going to spread his wealth over several charities.”
“It’s a new one. LimeLight Division, it’s called.”
“LimeLight.” Emmanuell closed her eyes, her chin trembling as one tear tracked down her cheek. “That was one of my mother’s pet projects that never got off the ground. It was supposed to be an educational and recreational center for kids in foster care or group homes, but she died before she could really work with it.”
I glanced at my phone, scrolling through alerts until I came to the one labeled LimeLight. “Looks like LimeLight Division was created a month before your father died by one Randal Goldstein. It was set up to be owned by Franklin Stanton and Emmanuell Stanton, but the proper signatures were never filed, and the corporation reverted to Goldstein.” I furrowed my brow. “Looks like it was set up that way. If, for any reason, the Stantons never took control of the corporation, it would become Goldstein’s…” I glanced at Emmanuell. Her lips were parted, her eyes wide.
“I wasn’t in any business dealings with my father. Yes, I worked at his company, but not in any major capacity. I was meant to learn how the place ran from the ground up. If I wanted to work for him, I had to earn my way there. Just like anyone else.”
I tapped my screen some more until I found Emmanuell’s file with HR at Stanton Industries. The more I saw, the more I frowned. “He made you start in the fuckin’ mailroom?”
Emmanuell tried to pry her hand from mine, but I held on fast. “Everyone starts in the mailroom,” she snapped. “There’s no better way to get to know a place than by starting in the mailroom. You learn where everyone is, where every department is. What outside companies deal with which internal departments. Who is the head of each department, and who they correspond with regularly. I learned lots of stuff when I worked there.”
She was on the defensive when I’d never meant to attack. “Every company has their own way of doing things. I just never thought your father would make his own daughter start work at his company in the mailroom.”
“Like I said. He believed that I needed to make it on my own merit. He gave me help anytime I asked. Help. Guidance. Advice. A nudge in the right direction. But I have always known that any place I had in my father’s company would only happen if I earned it.”
“OK,” I said, trying to soothe her feelings when I usually could give a good Goddamn. Someone got all sensitive, they needed to toughen up. This girl was already tough. Anyone could see it. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just expected he might have let you have a hand in this new company like it looks on the surface.”
“No. LimeLight was all my mother’s. Dad would never have put anyone in charge of it other than himself. Mr. Goldstein would never have been part of it other than to shore up any legal issues as described in his contract with my father,” she finished softly. Ducking her head, she sniffed and wiped at her eyes with one hand.
“Guessing the whole thing is a sham, then?” Thorn’s question was directed at me.