Page 12 of Deadly Secrets

“Love you too. Bye.”

* * *

Mr. Lehman, my lawyer, stood outside the building holding two cups of coffee. He wore an expensive suit and a golden Rolex, but that didn’t surprise me as he was one of the founders and the principal partner at the Lehman & Sakkas Law Firm. It was one of the best firms in the country, and he’d been on my father’s payroll for almost seven years. Although we’d only met twice, I immediately recognized him as I crossed the street.

“Good morning, Miss Moore. I took the liberty of ordering you a latte,” he said, handing me a Starbucks venti cup.

I took a sip, and its rich flavor exploded in my taste buds.

“Thank you, Mr. Lehman. I’m a Starbucks junkie, glad you remembered. I’m incapable of saying no to a pumpkin spice latte. It’s my favorite,” I responded.

“I just wanted to go over what will happen today quickly. As I said over the phone, Mr. Lawrence was your father’s right hand at Cos Pharmaceuticals, as you very well know, and the executor of the will. Your father appointed him. He’ll read your parents’ will today and inform you, as their sole heiress and relative, of its content and how everything they owned will be distributed based on their wishes. However, if you don’t agree with something stated, we can discuss the next steps in my office tomorrow.”

My father was a prestigious businessman, so I already knew he took the time to write that will with my mother. Edward Moore wasn’t the kind of man who would trust someone else to do the dirty work. He would carefully read every contract, even the small print, and wouldn’t sign anything without knowing what each page said.

“It’s okay. I’ll respect my parents’ wishes. I’m sure they’ve left me enough not to worry about my future.”

We took the elevator to the forty-third floor. When the doors opened, a woman in her mid-thirties was already waiting for us. “Welcome, Miss Moore, Mr. Lehman. I’m Laura, the office manager. Please follow me. Mr. Lawrence is already waiting for you in our conference room.” She was pretty. Laura wore a dark gray pencil skirt, a cream blouse with a bow on her neck and padded shoulders, and a beautiful pair of Manolo Blahnik’s Campari Mary Jane pumps in black. I made a mental note to myself. I needed those shoes.

It’d been three years since I last visited this office. I used to spend a lot of time here when I was in school, but since I moved to Switzerland, I’d barely come. It looked like my father renovated it. It had a light gray industrial floor, wooden panels, an open-office style, and eight glass conference rooms on the right side. An open kitchen at the end had fruit bowls, cookies, croissants, and pain au chocolat.

“My father never told me the office was renovated.” I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t mentioned it to me. After all, why would he? We stopped discussing what was going on in our lives quite a while ago.

“The work was completed about a year ago. Your father said it needed a facelift, that young minds now prefer to work in open spaces with billiard tables and free coffee,” she said, turning her face to meet my eyes. “He was a great man and an amazing boss. I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

I said nothing but kept walking beside her, Mr. Lehman slightly behind us. Laura opened the glass door to the last conference room. Peter Lawrence, Cos Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Operating Officer and one of my father’s closest friends, stood from where he sat and came to meet us.

“Thank you for coming, Miss Moore. Mr. Lehman.” He shook my hand, and Mr. Lehman extended his arm to greet my father’s colleague as well.

“Please, call me Sienna. There’s no need for formalities. You’ve known me forever,” I told him.

I sat at the table next to my lawyer and opposite Peter. After placing a bottle and a glass of water in front of each of us, Laura walked out of the room.

“Before we start, I want to offer you my condolences again. I respected your father a lot as the CEO of this company and as a board member, but on a more personal level, he and your mother were just great people and close friends.”

I figured he was at the funeral but didn’t recall talking to him. I was pretty sure I did, but I was mostly zoned out that day.

“Let’s begin,” he said, opening the envelope in front of him. “Your father appointed me as the executor of their will. As such, I’m responsible for administering your parents’ estate and carrying out their wishes as established in this document. All their assets, such as financial holdings, real estate, direct investments, or collectibles like art, will be distributed to the intended beneficiaries. Do you have any questions before I proceed to read their last wishes?” he asked.

“No, I’m good. Please continue.”

Peter read the will, and it was nothing I didn’t expect. I was the sole beneficiary of most of the stuff he listed. I didn’t have any relatives. Both of my parents were only children with no siblings, and my grandparents died a long time ago. Some of the charities my parents worked for would receive a substantial amount of money, and I would fulfill their role and serve on the board in a couple of them.

“Last item. Cos Pharmaceuticals.’’ Peter hesitated. He looked at me as if trying to say, brace yourself. “Miss Sienna Marie Moore will inherit Cos Pharmaceuticals Inc., the business, and its assets. Mr. Edward Louis Moore’s shares will be transferred to Miss Sienna Marie Moore; these account for 51% of the company’s stock. Mr. Peter James Lawrence, Chief Operating Officer at Cos Pharmaceutical, will continue to oversee the ongoing business operations within the company until the Board of Directors appoints a new Chief Executive Officer.”

A knot built in my stomach, my pulse began to race, and my hands started shaking.

“What does it mean? Don’t get me wrong, I know what it means, but…what is expected from me?” I asked.

“It means you own the company, Sienna,” Peter responded.

“You will control the board, and you will have the last word for every single decision. Until a new CEO is appointed, I’ll continue to oversee the business. You don’t have to worry about the company’s day-to-day operations, but I can train you in the role and bring you to key meetings so you can learn about the company, the business, and how to become a great leader like your father. You’re now the major shareholder and president. I understand this is a significant responsibility for someone your age, but you have our full support to ensure this new role doesn’t affect your studies.”

The major shareholder? President? I was eighteen, for fuck’s sake. I still struggled to choose the toppings I wanted on my pizza.

“You obviously need time to digest the amount of information I’ve unloaded on your shoulders, but it would be great if we could sit down and draw up a plan before you leave for college. Your father would want you to focus on your studies, so I will help as much as possible to keep this from becoming an additional burden.”

It was a lot to take in, and there was so much to unpack.

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