The Company Wearing Her Name
Chapter 04 - The Company Wearing Her Name
At nine the next morning, Eleanor entered Harbor Mobility headquarters for the first time since her accident.
The receptionist nearly dropped her phone.
“Ms. Grant?”
Eleanor smiled.
“Good morning.”
Within thirty seconds, Victor Hale appeared.
Tall, polished, gray at the temples, Victor wore the concerned expression he had perfected during Eleanor's recovery.
“Ellie.”
He opened his arms.
“What a wonderful surprise.”
“Is it?”
“Of course.”
He bent as though to hug her.
Eleanor moved her wheelchair backward.
Victor stopped.
Something flickered behind his smile.
“Everything okay?”
“I'd like to see the quality-control records for the Model Aster chair.”
Victor paused.
Only for half a second.
But Eleanor saw it.
“Why?”
“I own forty-one percent of this company. Do I require a reason?”
“No. Obviously not.”
“Good.”
Victor gestured toward the elevator.
“Let's talk upstairs.”
His office used to be hers.
Eleanor noticed that immediately.
Her photographs were gone.
Her father's antique drafting table was gone.
Even the small brass plaque reading FOUNDER had disappeared.
Victor poured coffee.
Eleanor declined.
“I met Rachel Bennett yesterday.”
The coffee pot stopped in midair.
Then Victor laughed.
“Rachel.”
“You remember her.”
“Unfortunately.”
“She claims she identified a safety defect.”
“She claimed many things.”
“Did she send me warnings?”
Victor sighed.
“Ellie, you were recovering from catastrophic injuries. I protected you from unnecessary stress.”
“That's not an answer.”
“She was disgruntled.”
“Did she send me warnings?”
Victor's jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
Eleanor felt something inside her go cold.
“And you intercepted them.”
“I filtered them.”
“You lied to me.”
“I managed a company while you were fighting for your life.”
Eleanor leaned forward.
“Was my rehabilitation chair from the defective production run?”
Victor's face changed.
There.
She saw it.
Fear.
“I have no idea.”
“Find out.”
“That equipment belonged to the rehabilitation facility.”
“Harbor donated it.”
Victor stood.
“Eleanor, stop.”
It was the first time he had dropped the gentle voice.
“You've been through enough.”
“Apparently not.”
She turned toward the door.
Victor stepped in front of her.
“You think Rachel found you by accident?”
Eleanor stopped.
“What are you suggesting?”
“I'm suggesting she knew exactly who you were.”
“Noah approached me.”
“Her son.”
Victor lowered his voice.
“People become desperate when they need money.”
Eleanor stared at him.
“You're accusing a nine-year-old boy of staging a loose wheel?”
“I'm telling you to be careful.”
Eleanor reached the elevator.
Before the doors closed, Victor called after her.
“Rachel Bennett didn't tell you everything.”
Eleanor held his gaze.
“What didn't she tell me?”
May you like
Victor's answer followed her into the elevator.
“She signed the final safety approval herself.”
