Chapter 58: The other founder

Damian had one rule when it came to buying the company.

Don’t rush.

It was getting harder to follow.

He sat in his apartment with his laptop open, three browser tabs showing financial reports and two physical folders beside him.

Rachel Morgan.

He typed the name into the search bar.

The results were mostly useless.

There were several people with the same name. A few social media profiles. An old conference program. Two business directories.

Nothing that explained why Victor Hale had brought her up.

Damian leaned back.

"Come on."

He tried again.

This time, he added the company name.

A few more results appeared.

One caught his attention.

An old article from eight years ago.

Local Software Startup Expands Small Business Platform.

Damian opened it.

The article was short.

Michael Reeves was quoted as the founder and CEO.

There was a photograph of him standing beside another person.

Damian stopped scrolling.

He recognized Michael immediately.

The woman beside him had dark hair tied behind her head and a much younger-looking face.

The caption read:

Michael Reeves and Rachel Morgan, co-founders of Meridian Software.

Damian stared at the screen.

"Co-founders."

He took a screenshot.

Then another.

He kept reading.

The article mentioned that Rachel handled product development while Michael focused on business operations.

That explained quite a bit.

Damian opened another result.

An old company announcement.

Rachel had spoken about the company’s original goal.

Simple software for businesses that couldn’t afford complicated enterprise systems.

Damian read the paragraph twice.

That sounded familiar.

It was basically the company’s entire identity.

Simple.

Affordable.

Easy to use.

He looked at the newer customer feedback he’d collected.

Customers still praised those exact things.

Damian leaned back again.

Maybe Rachel hadn’t just helped build the software.

Maybe she had helped build the reason customers stayed.

His phone rang.

Marcus.

Damian answered.

"Hey."

"You found something?"

"Maybe."

"That’s not very reassuring."

"I found an old article about Rachel."

Marcus was quiet for a second.

"Send it."

Damian forwarded the screenshots.

A few moments passed.

"Okay," Marcus said. "That’s useful."

"There’s more."

"Of course there is."

Damian smiled.

"I found out she was the product person."

"Was?"

"That’s the problem."

Marcus sighed.

"I’ll check the corporate records again."

"Do that."

"And Damian?"

"Yeah?"

"Don’t contact her yourself yet."

"Why?"

"Because if she’s connected to the ownership structure somehow, you don’t want to create unnecessary complications before we know what we’re dealing with."

Damian looked at the screen.

"Fair."

"I’ll call you later."

The line disconnected.

Damian closed his laptop.

For once, he listened to Marcus.

Across town, Emily sat beside her mother’s hospital bed.

Her mother was awake.

That alone made the room feel different.

"You look tired," her mother said.

Emily smiled.

"So do you."

"I’ve got an excuse."

"So do I."

Her mother chuckled softly.

"You’ve been coming here too much."

"I’m your daughter."

"That doesn’t mean you have to sit here every minute."

Emily adjusted the blanket.

"I know."

Her mother watched her.

"You’ve got that look again."

"What look?"

"The one you had when you were little and broke something."

Emily laughed.

"I didn’t break anything."

"Exactly. That’s why I’m worried."

Emily looked down.

Her phone sat beside her.

Damian had sent her a message earlier.

Damian:

How’s your day going, love?

She hadn’t answered yet.

Her mother noticed.

"Your boyfriend?"

Emily nodded.

"Yeah."

"You haven’t told him?"

Emily’s fingers tightened around the phone.

"Not everything."

"Why?"

Emily looked toward the window.

"Because I don’t want him worrying."

Her mother studied her.

"Does he worry a lot?"

"Sometimes."

"Then let him."

Emily didn’t answer.

Her mother sighed.

"I’m not telling you what to do."

"I know."

"But if he cares about you, he’ll probably want to know when you’re struggling."

Emily looked at the screen again.

She knew that.

That was exactly why she hadn’t told him.

Because once Damian knew, he would help.

She had no doubt about that.

And somehow that made it harder.

Damian spent the afternoon at Westbridge.

Daniel was in his office when Damian arrived.

"You look tired," Daniel said.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Maybe everyone is right."

Damian dropped into the chair.

"I found another problem."

Daniel laughed.

"Only one?"

"Northstar."

Daniel’s expression changed.

"You’ve already spoken to them?"

"Yesterday."

"And?"

"They have seven percent."

"I know."

"They also have approval rights."

Daniel leaned back.

"That makes things more complicated."

"Apparently."

"What does Michael say?"

"He says Rachel Morgan was his co-founder."

Daniel frowned.

"Rachel?"

"You know her?"

"No."

Damian pulled out his phone and showed him the old article.

Daniel read it.

"Interesting."

"That’s what I thought."

"What happened to her?"

"That’s what I’m trying to find out."

Daniel handed the phone back.

"You’ve done this before?"

"Done what?"

"Dig through old company records because someone left something out."

Damian thought about it.

"No."

"Welcome to business."

Damian laughed.

"I thought investing was supposed to be easier."

"Who told you that?"

"Probably myself."

Daniel smiled.

"That’s your first mistake."

Damian shook his head.

"I haven’t even bought the company yet."

"Exactly."

Daniel stood and walked to the window.

"Do you still want it?"

Damian thought for a second.

"Yes."

Daniel turned.

"Why?"

"Because there’s something there."

"What?"

"The customers."

Daniel nodded.

"And?"

"The product still works."

"Even with the old infrastructure."

"Yeah."

"And?"

Damian hesitated.

"Maybe the company isn’t as broken as it looks."

Daniel smiled.

"Now you’re thinking."

Damian frowned.

"Was I not thinking before?"

"I didn’t say that."

"You definitely implied it."

Daniel laughed.

"Maybe a little."

Damian stood.

"I’m going to keep digging."

"Good."

"And if the numbers don’t work?"

"Walk away."

Damian nodded.

That part had become easier.

Money wasn’t the reason to buy the company.

It was just the reason he could.

That evening, Damian met Maya at the company’s office.

She had spent the day going through old technical documentation.

"I found something," she said.

Damian looked over.

"What?"

She turned her laptop toward him.

"Some of the original software architecture was designed by Rachel."

"I know."

Maya looked at him.

"You knew?"

"I found an old article."

"Then you’ll want to see this."

She opened another document.

There were references to an early version of the platform.

Rachel’s name appeared repeatedly.

Damian scrolled.

Then stopped.

"What is this?"

"An old licensing agreement."

"With who?"

"Rachel."

Damian stared at the document.

"Is it still active?"

"I don’t know yet."

"Can you find out?"

"I’m trying."

Damian leaned closer.

The document was old.

Several years old.

Some sections had been replaced by newer agreements.

Others hadn’t.

Maya pointed at one paragraph.

"This is what worries me."

Damian read it.

The wording was complicated enough that he wasn’t going to pretend he understood it.

"What does it mean?"

"It means we need a lawyer who specializes in software IP."

Damian nodded.

"Get one."

Maya looked at him.

"You’re not even asking how much?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because finding out is more important than saving money right now."

Maya smiled.

"Good answer."

Damian looked back at the document.

The company had started looking cheap.

Then it started looking complicated.

Now it was starting to look like someone had buried a few landmines underneath it.

He closed the laptop.

"Let’s find every one of them."

Later that night, Damian got home.

He tossed his keys onto the counter and checked his phone.

One message from Emily.

Emily:

Sorry love. Been busy today.

Damian typed back.

Damian:

It’s okay. How’s your mom?

He stared at the screen after sending it.

The reply didn’t come immediately.

Then:

Emily:

She’s okay. Treatment is going fine.

Damian smiled.

Damian:

Good.

He waited.

Nothing.

He typed again.

Damian:

You okay though?

Emily looked at the message from her hospital chair.

She didn’t answer for almost a minute.

Finally:

Emily:

Yeah babe. Just tired.

Damian accepted it.

Damian:

Get some sleep when you can.

Emily:

I will.

He put the phone down.

Then picked it up again.

Damian:

Love you.

Emily stared at those two words.

Her eyes burned.

She quickly blinked and typed.

Emily:

Love you too.

She put the phone away.

Her mother was asleep now.

Emily leaned back in the chair.

For the first time in days, the hospital bill didn’t feel like it was crushing her.

The treatment was continuing.

The money Adrian had given her had bought them time.

But the arrangement was still there.

And every time her phone lit up with his name, she remembered it.

Damian sat at his desk.

His laptop was open again.

The acquisition file sat beside him.

He wrote a new list.

Rachel Morgan

Co-founderOriginal product developerFormer shareholder?IP agreementsRelationship with NorthstarReason for leavingCurrent involvement

He looked at the list.

Then added one more line.

Find her.

His phone buzzed.

Ethan.

Ethan:

Football tomorrow. Don’t forget.

Damian smiled.

Damian:

I remember.

Ethan:

You better. Mr CEO.

Damian:

Shut up 😂

Ethan:

Bring money for food.

Damian laughed.

Damian:

You have your own money.

Ethan:

And you have more.

Damian stared at that message.

He smiled.

"Fish brain."

He locked his phone.

Tomorrow could wait.

For tonight, he had enough problems already.