Chapter 12 - MONDAY
The folder contained twenty-seven files.
Contracts.
Emails.
Screenshots.
Voice notes.
A copy of my original divorce settlement.
And one document dated for Monday morning.
RIVERSIDE DEVELOPMENT — FINAL SALE AUTHORIZATION.
Sale price: $12.4 million.
My name appeared under “Original Stakeholder.”
I stared at it.
“I own part of Riverside?”
Nora scanned the document.
“Technically, yes.”
“How much?”
She kept reading.
Then looked at me.
“Twelve percent.”
The hallway went silent.
I did the math badly in my head.
Julian did it faster.
“About one and a half million before costs.”
I looked at Mason.
He said nothing.
My knees nearly gave out.
“You were going to have me sign that away?”
“It isn’t that simple.”
I laughed.
I couldn’t help it.
“Say that again. Please. I need to hear how stupid it sounds one more time.”
Mason’s face turned red.
“You didn’t invest that money.”
“My signature is on the original deal.”
“You were my wife.”
“So?”
“You benefited from the company.”
“So?”
“I built Riverside!”
“And apparently you built it using my legal identity.”
Vanessa looked at the floor.
Nora swiped to another file.
“Claire.”
Her voice changed.
“What?”
“There’s an email from Peter.”
Peter looked like he might faint.
Nora read aloud.
Need C’s release before close. If she refuses, M believes prior authorization is defensible, but exposure increases if signature authenticity is challenged.
Every head turned toward Peter.
He raised both hands.
“I advised my client to resolve the matter properly.”
Nora laughed.
“At his wedding?”
“I didn’t choose the venue.”
Mason snapped, “Stop talking.”
Peter looked at him.
Then something shifted.
Maybe self-preservation.
Maybe conscience.
Probably self-preservation.
“I did not know the original signature was forged.”
Mason went still.
I stared at Peter.
“You believe it was forged?”
“I believe there are irregularities.”
“Who gave you the original paperwork?”
He hesitated.
“Mason.”
Vanessa whispered, “Tell her.”
Mason turned.
“Shut up.”
She flinched.
Then straightened.
“No.”
He stared at her.
I watched something break between them.
Not love.
Power.
Vanessa looked at me.
“He signed it.”
The words were almost quiet.
I stepped forward.
“What?”
“Mason signed your name.”
Mason shouted, “You don’t know that!”
“I watched you practice it!”
The hallway exploded with gasps.
Vanessa was crying now.
“You made me bring home samples from your Christmas cards. You practiced her signature over and over.”
“Vanessa!”
“You said she would never find out!”
Mason pushed past security.
Julian stepped in front of me.
Mason stopped inches away.
His face looked almost unrecognizable.
“You ungrateful bitch.”
Julian moved.
I caught his arm.
“No.”
Mason pointed at Vanessa.
“I gave you everything.”
“You gave me Claire’s life.”
That sentence hit me harder than I expected.
Vanessa looked at me.
“Her house. Her reputation. Her money. And I was stupid enough to think that meant I won.”
I swallowed.
Mason turned toward me.
“This changes nothing.”
I looked at the phone.
Then at the two hundred people watching his wedding collapse.
“No.”
I smiled.
“It changes Monday.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You can’t stop the sale.”
“Maybe not.”
Nora grinned.
“But her attorney can.”
Mason’s expression changed.
And Nora added,
“Especially after the police see the forged guarantee.”
For the first time all night, Mason had no answer.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Nora looked at the screen.
“Answer.”
I did.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came through.
“Ms. Bennett? This is Detective Aaron Mills. I was given your number regarding a financial fraud complaint involving Riverside Development.”
I looked at Mason.
May you like
His face collapsed.
Someone had already called the police.
