The Son They Found Too Late Chapter 06
Author: Anna Smith
Vivienne opened the company system to restore my access to Harbor Point.
A notice appeared on the screen.
[EMPLOYEE ACCOUNT INACTIVE.]
She immediately called Human Resources.
They told her that my resignation had taken effect and all my company access had been terminated.
The conference room fell silent.
Sebastian called me three times. I did not answer.
On the fourth call, I sent him a message.
[Harbor Point is no longer my responsibility.]
He called again immediately.
“Father is willing to renegotiate your rights under the family trust. You only have to come back and take over the remediation.”
“The bank wants the project lead to explain why construction began despite the known risks.”
He was silent for a moment.
“I just joined the board. I can’t have a compliance failure attached to my name immediately.”
“So now you’re finally willing to acknowledge that I’m a Whitmore.”
“Callum, we’re family.”
“Only when you need me to take the consequences for you.”
I ended the call.
That evening, my father sent me an ultimatum.
[Be at Whitmore House tomorrow at nine. You will take over Harbor Point.]
[If you refuse, I will permanently withdraw the proposal to restore your rights under the family trust.]
Vivienne messaged me next.
[Don’t force Father to do this. You spent twenty-five years alone. You should understand what it means to finally have your family back.]
They believed I could never give up the Whitmore name or the family I had only just found.
They thought that if they threatened to take back everything they had promised me, I would give in as I always had.
At nine the next morning, my father and the family attorney waited for me in the study at Whitmore House.
At nine ten, my father pushed the unfinished trust amendment toward the attorney.
“Withdraw the proposal to restore Callum as a principal beneficiary. Inform the other trustees that I no longer support reinstating his voting rights.”
My mother went pale.
“Shouldn’t we give him another day?”
My father laughed coldly.
“He spent twenty-five years wanting to belong to this family. Once he understands what he’s about to lose, he’ll come back.”
Vivienne kept watching the study door.
Finally, she stood.
“I’ll get him.”
She hurried upstairs.
Less than a minute later, rapid footsteps sounded in the hall.
Vivienne returned to the study, her face drained of color. She held the dark green box Celia had given me. The seal was still intact.
“Dad, he isn’t here.”
My father frowned.
“Then call him.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Vivienne’s voice began to shake.
“His luggage, identification, and computer are gone. The guest suite is empty.”
Her phone buzzed.
Vale Risk Advisory had released an announcement.
[We are pleased to welcome Callum Whitmore back to Vale Risk Advisory as our newest partner.]
Below it was a photograph of Marcus and me signing the partnership agreement.
They had always believed that leaving the Whitmores would leave me with nothing.
But in that photograph, I had already found a place that was truly mine.
