The room fell silent as the implications of Aiden's statement sank in. Graydon Meyer, in all likelihood, had sent him the shares—the same man Aaron was certain had conspired with Lacy Knighton to kill his wife.

Why would he do this? And call himself "a friend"? It made no sense.

"Isn't he that tech guy?" Cameron asked, confused, looking to his boss.

"He's an enemy," Aaron said icily. "He works with Lacy. This feels like a threat."

If Graydon Meyer knew about his marriage, did Lacy know too? She was the last person he wanted to find out. Panic flooded him. He hadn't spoken to Keeley since that morning. Was she safe? Had they harmed her already?

[The sentence about the website is irrelevant and has been removed.]

He instructed Aiden to investigate further before hanging up. Ignoring Cameron, still in his office, he called his wife. He desperately needed to hear her voice.

"Aaron? What's going on? I'm walking to class."

Background noise was significant, but he understood her. Relief washed over him.

"I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"I'm alright. I haven't fallen asleep in any of my lectures yet, so that's something."

"That's good."

"I have to go now; there's no reception where I'm going. I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

She affirmed with a sound before mumbling goodbye and hanging up. He was too relieved she was fine to notice the irony of her parting words mirroring his own past habit.

Cameron was looking at him strangely. "What was that about?"

Great. Aaron had forgotten Cameron knew nothing about the past threats Keeley had faced. He'd acted rashly.

"I thought she might be in danger because of this message," he confessed. "I panicked."

"I didn't think that was possible for you. Why would you think that?"

"Lacy Knighton is dangerous, and Aiden linked the man we suspect to her. I can only see this 'gift' as a warning."

A thoughtful expression crossed Cameron's face.

"You might be overthinking this. If this man could easily force Emilio to sell, he could have infiltrated the company anytime. Why didn't he? He probably has no intention of taking over Hale Investments. It seems like he wants you to do it for him.

"And if he truly threatened Keeley…wouldn't he have acted already? If he found out you married this weekend, he's probably known about her for a while. This might sound crazy, but I think this person has a problem with your father, not you."

That would make sense, except for Aaron's belief that Graydon Meyer was Lacy's baby's father. Her baby's father definitely had a problem with Aaron personally. But he'd backed off after Keeley's death, which was still puzzling.

Aaron always assumed the mystery man had a vendetta against him, but what if it was against the Hales? That could explain the shares. Cameron could be right—Meyer might want him to overthrow his father. But that left his own role unclear.

He needed information on Graydon Meyer's true identity, but Aiden hadn't found it yet. Whoever created his fake ID was highly skilled. The switch must have been in person, leaving no digital trail.

He was sure Meyer's original identity held the key, revealing his grudge against Aaron or another Hale.

"Do you think I should accept the shares?"

Cameron shrugged. "I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm more concerned about what else he knows."

Aaron sighed. He had a point. They needed to be vigilant and investigate further, but there was no reason not to use the shares.

"I've wanted an additional shareholder on my side anyway. Who should I give them to?"

"Why not Jennica? She'd enjoy being a high-profile businesswoman. The meetings are only once a month; she could make most of them," he suggested.

"It would be suspicious if your wife suddenly had shares."

"Your father already suspects we're connected. And she doesn't have to reveal she's my wife. She could use her maiden name, and nobody would be the wiser. They don't know who I'm married to."

Aaron hated when Cameron was right. It felt like defeat. He replied grumpily.

"Alright, give them to Jennica."

Cameron rubbed his hands together excitedly. "This will be great! What does this bring you up to now?"

"39%. I'm technically the largest shareholder, but I can't reveal my hand yet. I need over 50%," he sighed.

Twelve percent to go. He'd never been closer, yet it seemed so far. If he stuck to his plan of convincing Alexander to sell shares next year and Keeley's child was a boy, it might be possible.

Too many "ifs." He wanted a foolproof plan, something certain. He had to remove his father, or Keeley would never be safe.