Chapter 15
I stopped thinking of the cafeteria incident as random after that.
Madison choosing me had been real.
Her cruelty had been real.
But somewhere behind it, adults had been watching.
Testing.
Measuring.
Waiting to see what happened.
I felt violated in a way the noodles had never made me feel.
Dad shut down every Harrison Outreach system connected to student analytics.
Hundreds of employees were locked out while investigators preserved data.
By noon, the company’s stock price had fallen.
Reporters blamed Dad.
Some board members demanded he restart operations.
He refused.
“We don’t protect a stock chart by destroying evidence.”
I sat at the long conference table at Harrison headquarters.
It was my first time inside during a crisis.
Executives kept looking at me.
Not Avery Cole.
Avery Harrison.
I hated the difference.
One man whispered to another when I entered.
Dad heard him.
“If my daughter’s presence distracts you from the possibility that our company enabled crimes against children, leave.”
Nobody whispered after that.
Claire presented initial findings.
“Five years ago, Harrison Outreach licensed a student retention platform from Lane Education Technologies.”
Victor’s company.
The screen showed a contract.
Dad stared.
“Who approved this?”
Claire looked at him.
“You.”
Silence.
He didn’t deny it.
“I approve hundreds of contracts.”
“I know.”
“How was it described?”
“Student success analytics.”
Dad closed his eyes.
I understood the trap.
Normal language.
Helpful words.
Retention.
Success.
Risk detection.
Behind them, something ugly had grown.
“What data did Harrison provide?” Dad asked.
Claire clicked.
“Financial aid information. Parent contact records. Enrollment status.”
“Anything medical?”
“Not from us.”
“Immigration?”
“No.”
“Then Westbridge added those.”
“Likely.”
Dad looked furious.
“Did Lane have permission to reuse data?”
“No.”
Claire’s voice sharpened.
“They violated the contract.”
One executive cleared his throat.
“So legally, Harrison isn’t responsible for misuse.”
Dad looked at him.
The man seemed relieved to offer good news.
Dad’s response wiped that relief away.
“I didn’t ask whether lawyers could protect us.”
The room went silent.
“I asked what we enabled.”
I watched my father in that moment.
For years, people described him as ruthless.
Maybe he was in business.
But there was a difference between protecting a company and worshiping it.
Dad was choosing.
The executive tried again.
“Our fiduciary responsibility—”
“Includes not becoming a machine for abuse.”
No one argued.
After the meeting, I followed Dad into his office.
“You approved it.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember Victor?”
“Very well.”
“What was he like?”
“Smart. Charming.”
“Did you trust him?”
“Yes.”
I groaned.
Dad looked at me.
“I’m noticing a pattern too.”
That made me laugh despite myself.
Then his face became serious.
“Avery, I need you to hear something.”
“What?”
“This is not your investigation to carry.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You keep absorbing everyone’s pain like you owe them repayment because our money touched this.”
I looked away.
“Maybe I do.”
“You don’t.”
“Our company—”
“My company.”
“One day it might be mine.”
His expression changed.
“That still doesn’t make you guilty for decisions made when you were twelve.”
“I’m not talking about guilt.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Responsibility.”
Dad went quiet.
I continued.
“If I inherit everything one day, I don’t want to become someone who only knows what reports say.”
His eyes softened.
“I want to know what power feels like to people without it.”
Dad sat down.
“That’s why I sent you to Westbridge quietly.”
I nodded.
“And now I understand why Mom threw iced tea at you.”
He laughed.
A real laugh.
Then someone knocked.
Daniel.
“We found Rebecca Shaw.”
Dad stood.
“Where?”
“Las Vegas.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Cooperating?”
“Not yet.”
“She needs protection.”
“She says she’ll talk only if Harrison guarantees immunity from termination and legal support.”
Claire entered behind him.
“Convenient.”
Dad shook his head.
“She may have evidence.”
Claire folded her arms.
“She may also be deeply involved.”
“I know.”
I asked, “Can you promise immunity?”
“No,” Dad said. “Only prosecutors can handle criminal immunity.”
“What can you promise?”
“Employment protections for truthful cooperation, depending on her conduct.”
Claire looked skeptical.
“Ethan.”
“We need facts.”
“I know.”
Their old tension returned.
I stepped between them verbally.
“What did Rebecca do?”
Daniel answered.
“She uploaded Avery’s enrollment photograph.”
My stomach tightened.
“Ask her why.”
They arranged a video call with her attorney present.
Rebecca appeared on screen.
Early thirties.
Exhausted.
She looked at Dad.
“Mr. Harrison.”
“Rebecca.”
“I’m sorry.”
“For which part?”
She flinched.
Her attorney interrupted.
“My client is prepared to provide information.”
Dad nodded.
Rebecca began.
“Richard asked me to flag Avery’s enrollment.”
“Did he know she was my daughter?”
“Yes.”
That landed hard.
“Why?”
“He said Victor wanted to run a controlled test.”
My hands curled.
Dad’s voice became ice.
“Controlled test involving my child?”
Rebecca nodded.
“He said no one would touch her.”
I laughed bitterly.
“That worked.”
Rebecca looked ashamed.
“I didn’t know students were being physically hurt.”
“You gave them my information.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard was my boss.”
I stared at her.
“That’s your answer?”
Tears filled her eyes.
“No.”
“Then what is?”
“Because I was scared.”
“Of losing your job?”
“Of losing my son.”
The room changed.
“What?”
Dad asked.
Rebecca wiped her eyes.
“Victor had access to the school health system.”
“Your son attended Westbridge?”
“Yes.”
“He has epilepsy.”
I felt my anger shift.
Rebecca continued.
“Victor sent me a video of my son having a seizure in the nurse’s office.”
Dad’s face hardened.
“He threatened him?”
“He said accidents happen when records aren’t handled carefully.”
My stomach turned.
“How long?”
“Two years.”
Rebecca covered her face.
“I did what they asked.”
Dad leaned closer.
“What exactly did they ask?”
She looked at him.
“Mostly data.”
“Mostly?”
“Sometimes changes.”
“What changes?”
“Deleting access logs.”
Claire cursed under her breath.
“Anything about Maya?”
Rebecca went pale.
“Yes.”
My heartbeat jumped.
“What?”
“After she disappeared, Victor made me remove a file from Harrison servers.”
“What file?”
“A security backup.”
Dad’s hands tightened.
“Backup of what?”
Rebecca’s voice became tiny.
“A call.”
“Between who?”
“Richard and Mr. Ward.”
“When?”
“The night Maya disappeared.”
Dad asked, “Did you listen to it?”
She nodded.
“What did they say?”
Rebecca stared at the screen.
“Richard was screaming.”
“About?”
“He said Oliver had gone too far.”
My skin went cold.
Rebecca continued.
“And Oliver said, ‘She saw my face. There’s no going back now.’”
I couldn’t breathe.
“Did Richard say where Maya was?”
“Yes.”
Everyone leaned forward.
Rebecca whispered the location.
A private rehabilitation center outside Palm Springs.
Dad turned to Daniel.
“Search warrant.”
Daniel was already moving.
Rebecca called after him.
“That’s not where they kept her.”
We stopped.
“What?”
She swallowed.
“That was where they created the paperwork.”
“What paperwork?”
“Records saying Maya had been admitted under another name.”
I felt sick.
“For what?”
“Psychiatric treatment.”
Dad’s face twisted with anger.
“They tried to make her look unstable.”
Rebecca nodded.
“And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Victor did it to others.”
The room went silent.
“How many?” I asked.
May you like
Rebecca looked directly at me.
“At least six.”
