Sitting in a large chair near the fireplace, I pulled my feet up into the chair, wrapped one arm around my knees, and touched the screen, calling my father’s private phone. The sound of a ring was quickly replaced with my father’s voice.

“Julia, tell me this is you.”

The desperation in his tone added to my newfound remorse at not calling him earlier. “It’s me, Dad. I’ve spoken to Mom. Didn’t she tell you?”

“Where are you?”

“I took a job in Ashland.”

The noise behind Dad’s voice went away as if he’d left a busy room. He didn’t address my answer, instead asking more questions. “Have you looked at your emails? Tell me you care. Tell me you’re not simply hiding when you could help.”

I put my sock-covered feet back on the large rug and paced back and forth before the fireplace, my stomach twisting with each step. I hadn’t read the emails. Each turn had me facing the beautiful snow-ladened bay and then away. “Dad, I’m not caught up. What’s happening?”

He let out an exasperated sigh. “In the last week, the perceived value of Wade has dropped.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit preoccupied by what happened with Skylar and now with me.”

“Julia, you must come home. Christmas is in two days. Come home and let me explain what has happened since you left.”

“What does it matter what the perceived value of Wade Pharmaceutical is? There is real value.”

“Julia, we haven’t been as forthcoming as we should, given you’re about to be more involved. The truth is that Wade has been having financial problems during the last few years. We’ve relied on loans to keep us going. The banks allowed us to borrow and borrow some more because the bank officials believed we could pay it back. With the new belief that we’re sinking, the largest loan has called a balloon payment due by January 3rd. Our options are to make the payment or accept an astronomical increase in interest.”

“How would combining McGrath stock with Butler have stopped that?” I asked, trying to understand.

“That union was a show of strength. Now, it’s even worse. We’re under attack.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Attack, attack from whom?”

“We don’t know. Marlin brought it to me yesterday. Someone has orchestrated a calculated effort to accumulate Wade stock.”

I knew who that someone was.

“In less than twenty-four hours, twenty-one percent was sold and purchased. That’s a huge amount. While this could be a coincidence brought on by the cancellation of your wedding, we believe that the move was too coordinated. Marlin and I believe it has all been done by one entity. Right now, the buyer has hidden their identity under layers of shell companies.”

“Was the cancellation of our wedding announced?” I hadn’t heard that either.