Chapter 10 - What David Mercer ConfessedDavid refused to speak for twelve hours.
Then investigators showed him Victoria’s drives.
After that, he talked for almost four.
Andrew did not attend the interrogation.
That surprised everyone except me.
He stayed home with Oliver.
When I found him on the terrace that evening, our son was sitting on his lap holding a wooden spoon for reasons nobody understood.
“Da.”
“Yes,” Andrew answered solemnly. “That is definitely a spoon.”
“Da.”
“Excellent observation.”
I smiled.
Watching a billionaire CEO conduct serious conversations with a toddler remained one of my favorite things in existence.
I sat beside them.
“What did the police say?”
Andrew’s expression changed.
“He confessed.”
“To everything?”
“Almost.”
Oliver offered me the spoon.
I accepted it as though receiving an important diplomatic document.
“What was the plan?”
Andrew looked toward the city.
“David started selling information to Beaumont four years ago.”
“Money?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
“Ownership.”
I frowned.
“Of Beaumont?”
“Conrad promised him equity if Leprince collapsed enough for Beaumont to absorb us.”
“That makes no sense. Beaumont is already failing.”
“They believed acquiring our technology and distribution contracts would save it.”
“So they wanted to destroy us first, then buy us cheaply.”
“Yes.”
“Martin?”
“Disposable.”
My stomach twisted.
“And Victoria?”
“Initially they wanted her blamed.”
“Because of her family connection.”
“Yes.”
“And me?”
Andrew’s jaw tightened.
“They knew attacking you would destabilize me.”
I hated how rational that sounded.
“What about Oliver’s photograph?”
“David ordered it.”
My hand tightened around the wooden spoon.
“Who took it?”
“A private contractor.”
“Has he been arrested?”
“Yes.”
Some tension left my shoulders.
“And the car?”
“David arranged maintenance access.”
I looked at Andrew.
“They really intended to kill you.”
His expression remained calm.
“I know.”
“How are you saying that like we’re discussing quarterly reports?”
He looked at me then.
Because beneath everything, I saw fear.
Not for himself.
For us.
“Because if I let myself actually think about what could have happened, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
I moved closer.
Oliver climbed awkwardly between us.
For several minutes, we sat together.
A family stacked against one another on a terrace overlooking a city that seemed unaware of how close our lives had come to changing forever.
Then Andrew spoke.
“I’m resigning.”
I thought I had misheard him.
“What?”
“As CEO.”
I stared.
“No.”
“Elila.”
“No.”
“It’s my decision.”
“And it’s a terrible decision.”
He looked surprised.
“I nearly got my family killed.”
“You did not.”
“My company did.”
“No. Criminals did.”
“If I weren’t CEO—”
“They would have found another reason.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Neither do you.”
Oliver looked between us, sensing tension.
I lowered my voice.
“You’re scared.”
Andrew’s jaw hardened.
“Yes.”
The admission came so quickly it silenced me.
“I’m terrified.”
He looked at Oliver.
“Every time he leaves this room, I imagine someone photographing him.”
Then his eyes moved to my belly.
“Every time you get into a car, I think about brakes failing.”
My anger disappeared.
“Andrew.”
“I built Leprince because I wanted freedom. Instead, I built something large enough to put targets on everyone I love.”
“You also built something employing thousands of people.”
“They can have another CEO.”
“You don’t want to leave.”
His silence answered.
I knew him.
Andrew did not simply run Leprince Corp.
He loved it.
The science.
The products.
The challenge.
The same passion that had connected us in that bar before either of us knew how complicated our lives would become.
“You once told me I reminded you why you started this company.”
“I remember.”
“So remember now.”
His eyes met mine.
“You cannot teach our children that when someone evil attacks something you love, the correct response is abandoning it.”
“That is not what I’m doing.”
“Yes, it is.”
He frowned.
“I’m protecting them.”
“No. You’re trying to control fear.”
That landed.
Hard.
I touched his face.
“You protected me so much during my first pregnancy that sometimes I forgot I could protect myself.”
Pain crossed his expression.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not accusing you.”
I smiled faintly.
“I liked being protected sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“You are extremely intense.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“But this year taught me something.”
“What?”
“I don’t need you standing in front of me every time.”
I took his hand.
“Stand beside me.”
His eyes softened.
“We make the company safer. Better governance. Independent cybersecurity. Supplier oversight. Stronger board controls.”
“You’ve thought about this.”
“I’m a scientist. Overthinking is basically my religion.”
That finally made him laugh.
Oliver laughed too, despite having no idea why.
Then Andrew became thoughtful.
“What if I stay but appoint an independent chief risk officer?”
“Good.”
“External audit committee.”
“Good.”
“CEO credentials removed from routine procurement.”
“Very good.”
“And you stop accessing laboratory systems at two in the morning.”
I blinked.
“How did this become about me?”
“I’m negotiating.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Yet you married me.”
“Temporary lapse in judgment.”
He kissed me.
“Best lapse of your life.”
Unfortunately, he was right.
The investigation continued for months.
Conrad Beaumont was eventually charged with conspiracy, corporate fraud and obstruction after David provided investigators with years of messages and financial records.
Marcus Hale surrendered through his attorney.
Martin accepted a cooperation agreement in exchange for testimony.
I had complicated feelings about him.
Anger.
Disappointment.
Even pity.
But forgiveness was not the same as pretending nothing happened.
I never visited him.
Victoria did visit Marcus once.
She never told me everything they discussed.
Only that she finally said goodbye to the brother she remembered instead of the man he had become.
Three months after the recall, regulators officially cleared Leprince Corp of intentional wrongdoing and praised the voluntary recall.
The infant nutrition line returned after complete supplier replacement and independent testing.
But the biggest change came inside the company.
Andrew announced a new governance structure before the entire executive team.
Then he surprised me.
“Effective immediately,” he said, “the Advanced Product Safety Council will operate independently from executive commercial pressure.”
I sat in the second row.
Pregnant enough now that standing required planning.
“The council chair will have unilateral authority to stop production of any Leprince product based on credible safety concerns.”
People glanced around.
I already suspected where this was going.
Andrew looked directly at me.
“Dr. Elila Leprince.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Applause started.
I mouthed silently, We are discussing this later.
His smile clearly answered, Looking forward to it.
Afterward, I cornered him in his office.
“Again?”
“What?”
“You gave me another job without warning.”
“The board elected you.”
“You nominated me.”
“Technically.”
“Andrew.”
“You’re the best person.”
“You are sleeping on the sofa.”
“We don’t own a sofa uncomfortable enough for that threat to work.”
I hated rich people.
Especially the one I married.
But this time, underneath the irritation was something different.
Pride.
Because the position was not decoration.
Not charity.
Not something created for the CEO’s wife.
It had authority.
Real independence.
Including authority over Andrew.
I smiled slowly.
He immediately became suspicious.
“What?”
“So I can stop one of your product launches.”
“If safety requires it.”
“Even if you disagree.”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“Elila.”
“I’m going to enjoy this.”
“I have created a monster.”
“You married her.”
That night, after Oliver fell asleep, Andrew and I lay together while our daughter moved energetically between us.
He rested his hand on my belly.
“Have we decided her name?”
“We’ve rejected thirty-four.”
“Thirty-seven.”
“You suggested Apple.”
“It’s food-related.”
“We are not naming our daughter Apple Leprince.”
“Cinnamon?”
I turned slowly.
He laughed before I could respond.
“Joking.”
“You’re lucky I love you.”
“I’m exceptionally lucky.”
His expression softened.
“What about Amelia?”
I paused.
Amelia.
I repeated it silently.
It felt warm.
Gentle.
Strong.
“Amelia Leprince.”
Andrew smiled.
“I like it.”
A small kick pressed against his hand.
His eyes widened.
“She likes it.”
“She kicked because you’re crushing my bladder.”
“Let me have this.”
I laughed.
“Fine.”
He bent toward my belly.
“Hi, Amelia. Dad here.”
My heart squeezed.
It had been nearly two years since he first spoke those same words to Oliver through my pregnant belly.
So much had happened since then.
Scandal.
Marriage.
Birth.
Betrayal.
Fear.
And somehow, after everything, we were still here.
Not perfect.
Not safe from every problem.
But together.
For the first time, I understood that perhaps that was what family really meant.
May you like
Not avoiding storms.
Building something that survived them.
