"What records?"
"Harrison International."
Sarah sat opposite him.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she stood and walked toward a small cabinet.
She opened the bottom drawer and removed an old photograph.
It showed a younger man standing beside a woman outside a small office.
The man had dark hair and a serious expression.
Ethan recognized the company logo behind them.
"That's your father," Sarah said.
Ethan took the photograph.
"Why did you hide this from me?"
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
"Because I wanted you to have a normal childhood."
"Who was he?"
"Thomas Miller was one of the original founders of Harrison International."
Ethan looked at her.
"Why did he leave?"
Sarah sat down again.
"He didn't leave because he stopped loving us."
Ethan felt his chest tighten.
"What happened?"
"Your father discovered that several investors were stealing money from the company. He wanted to expose them."
"Who?"
Sarah looked away.
"Arthur Harrison."
Ethan knew the name.
Arthur had been Eleanor's late husband and the former chairman of the company.
Sarah continued.
"Thomas refused to participate in the fraud. They threatened him. They told him that if he continued, he would lose everything."
"Then what?"
"He signed away his shares under pressure and disappeared."
Ethan stared at the photograph.
"Did he die?"
Sarah nodded slowly.
"He passed away eleven years ago."
Ethan looked down.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want you to spend your life chasing a family that had already abandoned you."
Ethan held the photograph tightly.
For years, he had believed his father had simply walked away.
Now he understood that his family had been connected to the company long before he joined it.
And the corruption he had discovered was not a new problem.
It was an old wound that had never healed.
CHAPTER 8: THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT
The following morning, Sarah gave Ethan a small metal box.
Inside were several old letters, a legal agreement, and a handwritten note.
The agreement was signed by Thomas Miller and Arthur Harrison.
It confirmed that Thomas had transferred his shares into a protected family trust.
The transfer would only become effective after certain conditions were met.
Ethan read the document carefully.
"Mom, why do you still have this?"
"Your father gave it to me before he left."
"Did he explain what it meant?"
"He told me that one day, if the company became dangerous again, the documents might protect you."
Ethan read the final page.
There was a clause he did not understand.
He called Rebecca.
Within an hour, she arrived.
She examined the agreement.
Then she looked at Ethan.
"This is significant."
"How significant?"
"Your father retained a beneficial ownership interest through the family trust. The trust also contains voting rights that were never properly transferred."