A Mother Against Her Daughter
Chapter 11 - A Mother Against Her Daughter
Margaret Sloan was seventy-six and dressed like a woman who had spent her life apologizing for taking up space.
She sat beside the window of room 304, clutching a leather handbag.
“Victoria believes I am in memory care,” she said.
Maya remained near the door.
Margaret had been Sloan Industrial’s bookkeeper during the Harbor renovation. She discovered counterfeit parts and confronted her husband, Charles. He told her the company would collapse if she spoke.
On the night of the fire, Elena gave Margaret the red folder and asked her to take it to Eleanor. Margaret hid it in her car.
Then Victoria found her.
“My daughter said the fire was already out of control and exposing the documents would only destroy two families instead of one,” Margaret whispered. “She said Elena was dead and truth could not help her.”
Margaret kept the folder but remained silent.
Years later, Victoria placed her in a private care facility and obtained control of her finances. When Margaret tried to contact Eleanor, staff increased her medication.
She escaped after recognizing the same drug used against Eleanor on the news.
The original folder included something the microfilm copy did not: a photograph of Victoria pouring solvent into the service shaft before the fire.
Charles Sloan had taken it.
“He wanted insurance against her,” Margaret said. “Our family collected evidence instead of courage.”
Maya understood the sentence too well.
Margaret also knew where Daniel was.
Victoria had arranged his disappearance after discovering he planned to cooperate with prosecutors about Harbor. Daniel agreed to stage the sailing accident in exchange for immunity and money, then attempted to disappear from Victoria as well. She found him and confined him in Montenegro under a false medical guardianship.
“He is guilty,” Margaret said. “But he is also her prisoner.”
Maya called Nathan.
Federal agents secured Margaret and authenticated the photograph. It provided the first direct evidence that Victoria started the Harbor fire.
Before the arrest warrant could be served, Victoria vanished from headquarters.
She took Eleanor with her.
Security footage showed Eleanor entering a company car willingly, then collapsing after Victoria injected something into her arm. The vehicle crossed the state line before police issued an alert.
Victoria sent Maya a video from inside a moving car.
Eleanor lay unconscious beside her.
“Bring the red folder and restore my authority,” Victoria said. “Or the founder will not survive long enough to fire anyone again.”
Maya looked at Nathan.
“I resigned.”
Nathan reached into his briefcase.
“The employee representatives completed an emergency election ten minutes ago.”
May you like
He handed her the result.
Maya had been chosen steward again—this time without Eleanor’s appointment.
