Chapter 5 - Five Million Dollars
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”
Rachel said it three times.
I still stared at the life insurance document like it might catch fire.
Five million dollars.
Dominic was the beneficiary.
The policy had been issued eleven months earlier.
My supposed signature sat at the bottom.
It looked like mine.
Almost.
But the A leaned too far right.
My father had taught me to sign checks when I was fifteen.
He always said signatures were habits.
Mine had never changed.
“That’s forged.”
Rachel nodded.
“It appears inconsistent.”
Dad stood across the room with his arms folded.
“Why would he take out five million?”
“Insurance itself isn’t suspicious in a marriage,” Rachel said. “The issue is consent.”
I looked at Celeste’s text again.
She wanted to meet.
Rachel arranged it in a private conference room at her office.
I wore loose black pants and a sweater because anything touching my incision hurt.
Leo stayed with Clara and Dad.
It was the first time I had been away from him since his birth.
I hated every second.
Celeste arrived twenty minutes late.
No makeup.
Hair tied back.
Nothing like the polished woman who usually entered rooms wearing her mother’s confidence.
She sat across from me.
“I’m sorry.”
I did not make it easy for her.
“For what?”
“For yesterday.”
“You laughed when they drove away.”
Her face crumpled.
“I thought you had another car coming.”
“You watched me stand there with a newborn.”
“I know.”
“You watched me almost collapse.”
“I know.”
“Then you went to lunch.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know.”
I let the silence hurt.
She deserved some of it.
Maybe I needed some of it too.
Finally, she opened her purse and removed a folder.
“I went back to Dominic’s office last night after he left.”
Rachel asked, “Why?”
“Because something he said didn’t make sense.”
“What?”
“He said Audrey had stolen money from him.”
I stared at her.
Celeste shook her head.
“I knew that wasn’t true. Dominic has been borrowing money from our parents for two years.”
“Borrowing?”
“Mom calls it investing.”
Rachel opened the folder.
Bank statements.
Contracts.
Loan agreements.
A handwritten list.
My name appeared several times.
AUDREY BROOKS VALE - AVAILABLE LIQUIDITY.
My stomach turned.
“Available?”
Celeste whispered, “I think he was planning to use your assets to cover losses at his company.”
Rachel flipped pages faster.
“What company losses?”
Celeste looked ashamed.
“His investors don’t know.”
My pulse kicked.
“Know what?”
“Vale Capital is in trouble.”
Dominic had spent years bragging about his firm.
Magazine articles.
Business panels.
Private dinners.
He constantly reminded me that my nonprofit consulting work was “cute” compared with real finance.
“How bad?”
Celeste shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Then she pointed to another document.
“I found this too.”
It was the policy.
Five million.
Rachel photographed every page.
“Celeste, did you take originals?”
“No.”
“Good.”
I stared at my sister-in-law.
“Why are you helping me?”
She looked down.
“Because yesterday I watched my brother leave a woman who had just been cut open to deliver his child.”
Her voice broke.
“And I still got in the car.”
I said nothing.
“I keep hearing the nurse tell him to pick up your bag.”
She wiped her face.
“I don’t want to be that person anymore.”
Before I could answer, the conference room door opened.
Rachel’s assistant stepped in.
“Sorry. Audrey, your father’s downstairs.”
My heart jumped.
“Is Leo okay?”
“He’s fine. But there’s a problem.”
I stood too fast.
Pain shot through me.
“What problem?”
“Dominic showed up at the townhouse.”
Every drop of blood in my body seemed to freeze.
“With what?”
The assistant swallowed.
“A court-approved supervisor.”
Rachel’s face changed.
“He has a visit today.”
I had forgotten.
Not forgotten Leo.
Forgotten the schedule.
The hearing.
Everything was moving too fast.
“Dad knows?”
“Yes.”
“And Dominic?”
“He’s already inside.”
I grabbed my bag.
Rachel stopped me.
“You cannot rush.”
“My baby is there.”
“He’s safe.”
“You don’t know that.”
Dad called before we reached the elevator.
“Audrey.”
“Where is Leo?”
“With Clara.”
“And Dominic?”
“In the sitting room.”
“Why are you calling?”
Dad was silent for half a second.
Then he said, “Because Dominic just asked me what branch of government I used to work for.”
My heart pounded.
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Dad.”
“He asked.”
“What exactly did you say?”
A pause.
Then my father answered.
“I told him United States Army.”
I stepped into the elevator.
“And?”
“He laughed.”
The doors began closing.
May you like
Then Dad added quietly:
“So I think we’re about to have a very interesting conversation.”
