Chapter 6 - DAMIAN’S SIGNATURE
Damian went straight to his office.
Elena followed.
Vanessa did too.
Mia stayed with Monica in the kitchen.
Damian opened his laptop.
His hands moved quickly across the keyboard.
Martin joined through video call.
“Tell me.”
The CFO looked sick.
“We found twelve transfers over fourteen months.”
“Total?”
“Eighty-seven point four million.”
“Accounts?”
“Shell companies.”
“Authorized by?”
Martin hesitated.
“Your digital signature.”
Damian leaned back.
“No.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t authorize them.”
“I know.”
Vanessa stood near the window.
Silent.
Damian looked at her.
“How?”
She shrugged.
“Maybe you did.”
“No.”
“You sign hundreds of documents a month.”
“I know what I sign.”
“Do you?”
Damian slammed one hand onto the desk.
Elena flinched.
“Stop playing games.”
Vanessa didn’t.
“You want me to confess to something? Fine. What exactly?”
Damian stood.
“To forging my signature.”
“Prove it.”
Martin interrupted from the screen.
“Damian, there’s more.”
“What?”
“Several approvals came from your home IP.”
Damian stared at the screen.
“When?”
“Mostly nights you were traveling.”
Elena’s stomach turned.
Vanessa had access to the house.
The office.
The Wi-Fi.
The staff.
Damian said, “Security logs.”
“I’m pulling them.”
Vanessa casually picked up a paperweight.
Elena watched her fingers.
Steady.
Too steady.
Damian paced.
“Who benefited?”
Martin shook his head.
“We’re still tracing ownership.”
“Trace faster.”
“We have outside counsel coming in.”
Vanessa smiled.
“You really think lawyers can save you?”
Damian turned.
“Save me from what?”
Her smile vanished.
Then her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Elena saw the name before Vanessa declined it.
PRESTON.
Damian saw it too.
“Who’s Preston?”
“No one.”
“Your phone says otherwise.”
“A friend.”
“What friend?”
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
“I don’t need to account for every person I know.”
Damian held out his hand.
“Phone.”
She laughed.
“Absolutely not.”
“Elena saw your father’s name in the ledger. My CFO found stolen money. Your notes include staff bribes. Hand me the phone.”
“No.”
“Then leave.”
Vanessa stared at him.
Damian pointed toward the door.
“Get out of my house.”
That hit harder than shouting.
Her face tightened.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“You’re ending our engagement?”
“Yes.”
Elena looked down.
Vanessa stared at Damian as though waiting for him to take it back.
He didn’t.
“So that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“For a housekeeper?”
Damian’s voice dropped.
“For fraud.”
Vanessa gave a bitter laugh.
“You really are stupid.”
Then she walked out.
Damian turned back to the screen.
“Martin, freeze everything.”
“I already—”
A loud crash came from the hallway.
Elena spun around.
Then Monica screamed.
“MIA!”
Elena ran.
She found her daughter at the foot of the grand staircase crying.
A shattered glass vase lay beside her.
And the front door was wide open.
“Mia!”
Elena dropped to her knees.
“Are you hurt?”
Mia shook her head wildly.
“Pretty lady pushed the table.”
“What?”
“She was mad.”
Elena looked toward the front door.
Vanessa was gone.
Damian appeared behind her.
He saw the broken glass.
Then Mia.
His face became murderous.
Mia clung to Elena.
“She said something.”
Elena stroked her hair.
“What?”
Mia whispered,
“She said Mama is going to jail.”
Elena froze.
Damian looked at her.
Then his phone rang again.
Martin.
Damian answered.
His expression changed instantly.
“What do you mean?”
A pause.
“No.”
Another pause.
“That’s impossible.”
He slowly turned toward Elena.
“Elena…”
Her stomach dropped.
“What?”
May you like
Martin’s voice crackled through the speaker.
“The missing money was transferred through an account opened in Elena Reyes’s name.”
