Chapter 6: The Meeting
Two days later, I met with Richard Hale in a private dining room at a hotel downtown.
He was in his late sixties, with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense attitude. He had been one of the company’s largest investors for over fifteen years. When I walked in, he stood up and shook my hand firmly.
“Mrs. Harrington,” he said. “Or should I say… Miss Blackwood?”
I smiled slightly. Very few people still called me by my aunt’s surname.
“Elena is fine,” I said.
We sat down. He didn’t waste time with small talk.
“I’ve seen the video,” he said bluntly. “The one of your husband dragging you across the floor. It’s already circulating in certain circles.”
I kept my expression calm.
“I didn’t release it,” I said.
“I know,” he replied. “But someone did. And now people are asking questions — not just about the assault, but about the company’s financial health. There are rumors about missing pension funds.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“I’ve known Daniel’s father for a long time. I always suspected he was… flexible with the rules. But I never expected his son to be this reckless.”
Richard studied me for a moment.
“I heard you used to work in forensic accounting before you married Daniel. Is that true?”
I nodded.
He smiled faintly.
“I thought so. You don’t strike me as the type of woman who would sit quietly while her husband destroyed a company.”
He took a sip of water, then continued.
“I’m not the only investor who’s concerned. There are others who are starting to worry that their money is at risk. If things continue like this, there could be a revolt at the next board meeting.”
I looked him in the eye.
“What do you want from me, Mr. Hale?”
He didn’t hesitate.
“I want to know where you stand,” he said. “Because if you still hold significant shares through that trust your aunt created, then you have more power than most people realize. And right now, this company needs steady leadership — not whatever Daniel Harrington is doing.”
I was quiet for a few seconds.
Then I answered honestly.
“I’m not interested in running the company,” I said. “But I am interested in protecting it. And in making sure the people who stole from the employees don’t get to walk away.”
Richard Hale smiled — a small, satisfied smile.
“Then,” he said, “I think we might be able to help each other.”
He slid a business card across the table.
“Call me when you’re ready to talk strategy,” he said. “Because from what I’ve seen, the Harrington family’s days of running this company without consequences are coming to an end.”
I picked up the card and slipped it into my purse.
As I walked out of the hotel, I felt something shift inside me.
The game had changed.
Daniel and his family had spent years underestimating me.
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Now, powerful people were starting to see me as someone worth talking to.
And that was exactly where I wanted them.
