Mortimer was a joke, but a life still hung in the balance.
Besides, I was an orphan. From the day I married into this family, his parents had treated me like their own daughter.
My mother-in-law hesitated. "But... that company is everything you've built. All those years... can you really let it go?"
"It's better than standing here helpless, watching him die."
I went home that night and started organizing every document the company had.
Halfway through, the absurdity of it hit me.
This company had started with just over a million dollars of my father-in-law's seed money. I'd clawed my way through every project since—negotiating, problem-solving, building it into what it was today. Only I knew what that had cost me.
Now, to save a life, I had to sell it. Just like that.
By the next day, I'd already contacted several potential buyers through a broker. The process went smoother than expected—probably because the company's books were clean and the revenue stream was stable.
I settled on an offer of eighteen million.
Lower than I'd hoped, but the buyer could pay in full, upfront. No installments, no delays.
I went straight to the hospital to tell my mother-in-law.
"I found a buyer. We're signing tomorrow. The paperwork will take a few days, but the money should come through soon."
I kept my voice steady. Calm.
She looked at the sealed doors of the ICU, then back at me. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"Renee... I'm so sorry. You worked so hard for that company..."
I cut her off gently. "Mom, it's fine."
"A company can be rebuilt. A person can't."
"Whatever happens, let's focus on getting Dad better first."
She gripped my hand, nodding through her tears.
The next afternoon, I arrived at the law firm to sign the letter of intent.
The buyer's representative and their attorney were already there. I'd brought a friend—someone I trusted—to review the terms on my end.
The preliminary discussions went smoothly. All the documents were in order.
Just as I was about to sign, the buyer's attorney, Ned Lambert, took a phone call.
When he hung up, his expression had shifted. Something guarded crept into his eyes.
He stepped aside and exchanged a few murmured words with the buyer. The buyer's brow furrowed immediately.
My friend noticed too. She leaned in, voice low. "Renee, what's going on?"
Attorney Lambert walked back to the table.
"Ms. Gilbert, I apologize, but we need to pause the proceedings."
"I just received a call—and a faxed document." He hesitated. "The equity for PeakVoice Tech, registered under your name... it was transferred three days ago."
"The current legal representative and sole shareholder is now listed as Renata Matthews."
I went rigid.
"That's impossible. I'm the sole shareholder and legal representative. A transfer can't happen without my signature and verification documents."
Attorney Lambert turned his phone toward me, displaying the faxed record.
"This is what we received. The registered change shows the transfer reason as 'gift.'" His voice was carefully neutral. "The gifting party is listed as Mortimer Fox."
Mortimer?
I stared at the document, my vision narrowing.
There it was. The legal representative field.
My name—gone. Replaced by Renata Matthews.
Shareholder information: Renata Matthews.
The conference room door swung open.
Mortimer strode in wearing a tailored suit and designer sunglasses, moving like he owned the room. His face carried nothing but ice and contempt.
"Well, well. Quite the party in here."
He let out a cold laugh and approached the table.
"I was wondering where all those company files disappeared to." His lips curled. "Trying to sell my company behind my back?"
I didn't explode. I just stared at him, my voice flat with warning.
"Do you have any idea what you've done? This money is supposed to save your father's life."
