Chapter 11

Rihanna POV

By the time my plane landed in New York, I had already made three decisions, and none involved forgiving Edrian Sterling. First, I would discover why my ex-husband had received money from my missing father's company. Second, I would find out who controlled Blackridge Holdings. Third, I would make sure nobody used my family history to distract me from the business empire I had spent two years building. That last decision became difficult when Sarah finally called me. Her voice sounded strained, “Rihanna, please don't go to Sterling Group today.” I stopped beside the waiting car. “That's an interesting greeting, considering you disappeared without explaining anything.” She sighed. “I know you're angry, but you need to listen.” I glanced at the driver, then lowered my voice. “You have thirty seconds.” Sarah hesitated before saying, “Someone accessed your private accounts last night, and the login came from inside Taylor Global.”

I arrived at my penthouse and immediately ordered a complete security audit. Whoever had entered my accounts had bypassed two separate protection systems, which meant they understood our internal network. Sylas checked the access records while I called my technology director, Marcus Bell, a man who usually spoke with the enthusiasm of someone discussing a tax return. Today, even he looked concerned. “The intruder didn't d******d your personal documents,” he explained. “They accessed the acquisition files for Sterling Group, then searched for information about a company called Meridian House.” I frowned because I had never heard of it. Marcus continued, “Meridian House is a private organization that funds political campaigns, purchases distressed companies, and quietly influences corporate leadership changes.” I folded my arms. “So, a group of rich people playing chess with everyone else's lives.” Marcus gave a nervous smile. “That's one way to describe it.” He explained that several companies connected to Meridian House had recently purchased shares in businesses supplying Sterling Group. Someone was preparing to control the company without buying it outright, and my takeover might have interrupted their plans.

I ordered Marcus to keep the discovery confidential while Sylas arranged a meeting with Edrian. We chose a private conference room inside a hotel, far from Sterling headquarters and its hungry reporters. Edrian arrived twenty minutes late, looking like he hadn't slept properly in days. His eyes moved over my face before settling on the folder between us. “You received the records,” he said. “I did, and they explain where your money came from, but not why you accepted it.” He pulled out a chair. “I never accepted anything knowingly.” I raised an eyebrow. “Your bank account disagrees.” He leaned forward and explained that the payment had arrived through a company presented as a confidential investor. Sterling Group had been struggling, and Arthur had insisted the funds were necessary to protect the company's remaining contracts. Edrian had approved the transfer without investigating the investor's ownership. “So you signed first and asked questions later?” I asked. “I thought I was saving the company.” I shook my head. “You always think you're saving something, Edrian. Somehow, you never notice who gets sacrificed.” He accepted the insult without defending himself, which irritated me more than another argument would have.

Before I could question him further, Edrian's phone rang, and the name displayed across the screen made his expression change. He declined the call, but it rang again almost immediately. “Answer it,” I said. “It's Arthur.” “Then I'm sure he has something unpleasant to say.” Edrian accepted the call and switched on the speaker. Arthur's voice filled the room, “You were instructed to leave the Meridian matter alone.” Edrian glanced at me, and I remained perfectly still. “I don't take instructions from you anymore,” he replied. Arthur laughed coldly. “You have no idea what you've involved yourself in.” Then another voice interrupted the conversation. It belonged to a woman I had never heard before, and she sounded amused by the entire situation. “Arthur, stop frightening the boy. He's finally asking sensible questions.” Arthur fell silent. The woman continued, “Miss Taylor, since you're listening, I suggest you attend tomorrow night's Meridian Foundation auction. Your family has ignored our invitations for years, but your latest business decisions have made you rather difficult to overlook.” I leaned toward the phone. “Who are you?” She chuckled. “Someone who knows why your company was allowed to survive.” The call ended before I could ask another question.

I spent the afternoon investigating Meridian House, and what I discovered made Sterling Group look like a minor problem. The organization had quietly influenced several major mergers across America and Europe, often by financing one company before forcing its competitors into financial trouble. Its members included wealthy investors, political donors, and executives who preferred controlling businesses from behind closed doors. Meridian House had no official headquarters, but its foundation hosted an annual auction where influential people purchased rare art, historic properties, and private investment opportunities. The event also served as a meeting place for people who wanted business agreements kept away from public records. I found one name appearing repeatedly in the foundation's older financial reports: Julian Cross, a former investment banker who had disappeared from public life after a scandal involving billions in missing pension funds. His disappearance had been blamed on fraud, although no charges were ever filed. More interestingly, several companies Julian had advised later became part of the Meridian network. I called Marcus and asked him to investigate the connection. His response came quickly. “Julian Cross is listed as deceased in two databases, but someone renewed his passport last year.” I stared at my screen. “Then either the dead have excellent travel agents, or somebody has been lying.”

That evening, I attended a Sterling Group board meeting without announcing my arrival. The directors had been arguing for nearly an hour when I entered, and their conversation stopped immediately. Arthur sat at the head of the table, looking furious enough to crack the polished wood. Valerie occupied the chair beside him, dressed in white and wearing the expression of a woman who believed every room belonged to her. “Miss Taylor,” Arthur said stiffly. “This meeting is private.” I placed my folder on the table. “Not when Taylor Global owns the debt keeping your company alive.” Valerie rolled her eyes. “Must you turn every conversation into a performance?” I looked at her. “Must you attend every meeting where nobody invited you?” One director coughed to hide a laugh, and Valerie's face tightened. I turned to the board and explained that someone was acquiring influence over their suppliers through Meridian-connected companies. If the directors continued signing agreements without investigating their investors, Sterling Group could lose control of its operations even if it survived my debt demands. Arthur dismissed the warning as an attempt to frighten the board. I slid a list of the affected suppliers across the table. “Then you won't mind explaining why three of them have already changed their payment instructions.” His expression shifted, and for the first time, several directors looked at him instead of me.

The meeting ended in chaos, with directors demanding answers Arthur refused to provide. I was leaving when Valerie followed me into the corridor, her heels striking the floor behind me. “You think you're winning,” she said. I stopped beside the elevator. “I know I am.” She moved closer, lowering her voice. “You don't understand what happens when powerful people decide they dislike you.” I examined her carefully and said “Is that a threat, Valerie, or are you finally admitting someone else controls you?” Her smile disappeared for a moment before returning. “Enjoy your little victory while you can.” I pressed the elevator button. “I will, especially since you're helping me understand how frightened you really are.” The doors opened, but before I stepped inside, Valerie said something that stopped me cold. “Ask Edrian why he kept your son's medical records hidden from you.” I turned around slowly. “What records?” She looked pleased with herself. “You should ask him before tomorrow night's auction.” The elevator doors began closing, and I watched her through the narrowing gap. For once, Valerie hadn't looked jealous or desperate for attention. She had looked like someone who knew a secret capable of destroying me.

I returned to my penthouse and called Edrian a message insteadof answering his lawyer sent a message requesting that all discussions about Ted go through the proper legal channels. That only made Valerie's words more suspicious. Ted had been healthy when I last saw him, and nothing in his medical history had ever suggested a serious problem. I contacted the family physician listed in the custody documents, only to discover that he had retired six months earlier. His replacement claimed that Ted's records had been transferred to a private pediatric clinic, but the clinic had no patient registered under his name. I refused to jump to conclusions until Sylas returned with the original documents, where he discovered that several pages had been removed from the medical file shortly after my divorce. The missing pages had been authorized by Arthur's office, not Edrian's. “Why would Arthur interfere with Ted's medical records?” I asked. Sylas shook his head. “I don't know, but the authorization includes a reference number connected to a private research foundation.” My stomach tightened. “Meridian House?” He nodded. Suddenly, this wasn't just about money, corporate control, or my father's disappearance. Someone had connected my son to an organization powerful enough to influence both families, and I had no idea what they wanted from him.

The next evening, I entered the Meridian Foundation auction wearing a tailored black gown and the calm expression that had become my best defense. Wealthy guests filled the ballroom, discussing investments while servers carried silver trays between them. Nobody here needed to raise their voice to ruin a person's life. A quiet conversation could cost someone a company, a reputation, or years of freedom. Sarah stood beside me, having finally returned to work and promised to explain her disappearance after the event. I hadn't forgiven her, but I needed her knowledge of the foundation's internal systems. Across the ballroom, Edrian spoke with Arthur, while Valerie entertained a group of investors near the stage. Then the host announced a special guest whose identity had been kept confidential. The room fell quiet as an older man walked beneath the lights, his silver hair neatly combed and his expression unreadable. I recognized him from Marcus's research immediately. Julian Cross was supposed to be dead. He accepted the microphone and surveyed the audience before speaking. “Tonight, we're not simply celebrating successful investments. We're correcting an arrangement that has remained unfinished for more than twenty years.” His gaze mets mine across the ballroom. “Miss Taylor, your family has kept something valuable from us, and we're ready to collect.” Before I could respond, the enormous screen behind him changed, revealing a list of names and a single heading: THE SUCCESSION AGREEMENT. My name appeared first, followed by Ted's, then Edrian's. Julian smiled at my growing confusion. “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the three people who will determine the future of Meridian House.” I stared at the screen, realizing that my son had been included in an agreement signed before he was even born, but why had Meridian House waited until now to claim him?