Page 9 of Secret Baby Daddy

“And Mr. Calder. You informed my assistant you work alone.”

“I do not compromise security protocols to accommodate public relations stunts,” Calder says, without looking at me. “If I am responsible for the physical and digital safety of this family, I need total authority over their movements.”

“Neither of you will have total authority,” Cordelia states flatly. “You will share it.”

I open my mouth.

Cordelia raises one finger, and the gesture stops me.

“My granddaughter, Sloane, is about to be named the successor to the Merrick empire. Last night, I received a package. It contained a video from twelve years ago.”

Calder leans forward slightly.

“The night of the fire at the downtown property.”

“Yes.”

Cordelia’s voice tightens.

“The night Mara Reyes died. The video appears to show Sloane locking a service corridor door and leaving Mara trapped in the burning wing.”

The room goes silent.

A twelve-year-old death.

A billionaire heiress.

A locked door.

It is the kind of scandal that destroys companies and puts people in federal prison.

“Is the footage authentic?” I ask.

“That is what Mr. Calder will determine.”

“And the extortion demand?” Calder asks.

“They want me to remove Sloane as successor and sell a controlling stake of the company to Northbridge Capital.”

Cordelia looks out the window, and the city seems very small behind her.

“If I do not comply within six weeks, they will release the video to the press, along with confidential security data they have somehow acquired.”

“They have current security data?”

Calder’s posture goes rigid.

“They included floor plans of this penthouse updated last month.”

Calder looks at me.

We exchange a single, loaded glance.

The threat is not just reputational.

Someone has breached the internal Merrick network.

“I need you to handle the scandal, Ms. Vale,” Cordelia says. “Buy me time and keep the stock price from collapsing when the rumors start. And I need you, Mr. Calder, to find out who has our data and how they got it.”