Chapter 13 - THE MAN BEHIND THE DEAL
Victor Shaw denied everything.
Naturally.
By noon, his attorneys released a statement calling Martin’s accusation “a desperate fabrication by a compromised individual.”
Victor agreed to meet me anyway.
Probably because powerful men believe they can talk their way out of almost anything.
We met in a conference room inside Vale headquarters.
My father wanted to come.
I said no.
Diane stayed.
Victor entered wearing a charcoal suit and the relaxed expression of a man who had never heard the word no often enough.
“Elena.”
“Victor.”
“I’m sorry about your husband.”
“No, you’re not.”
He smiled faintly.
“I appreciate efficiency.”
“So do I.”
We sat.
I put a printed copy of Phoenix on the table.
Victor didn’t touch it.
“Martin says this was your plan.”
“Martin is facing prison.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“No.”
“Did you design Phoenix?”
“No.”
“Did you know about it?”
He paused.
“Pieces.”
Diane spoke.
“Be very careful.”
Victor looked at her.
“I always am.”
I leaned forward.
“You were trying to acquire Mercer Hospitality.”
“Yes.”
“Knowing it didn’t own most of the land.”
“I discovered that later.”
“And when you discovered it?”
“I walked away.”
“After meeting Julian eleven times?”
Victor’s smile vanished.
“Elena, your husband came to me.”
“With what offer?”
“Operational control of fourteen luxury resorts at a distressed valuation.”
“Distressed?”
“He planned to create the distress.”
That caught me.
“How?”
Victor looked toward the window.
“He intended to trigger debt covenant violations.”
Diane stiffened.
“He wanted the company to default?”
“Temporarily.”
I felt sick.
“He was going to damage the resorts on purpose.”
“To create pressure on the trust.”
“So my family would sell.”
“That was the theory.”
“And then you buy.”
“At a discount.”
At least he wasn’t pretending to be noble.
“Did you know the documents were forged?”
“No.”
“Did you know Thomas Reed was dead?”
“No.”
“Did you threaten him?”
Victor’s face changed.
“No.”
“You emailed Julian after Thomas contacted you.”
“Yes.”
“What did Thomas say?”
Victor hesitated.
“That Julian wasn’t acting alone.”
I felt the room tilt.
“Martin.”
“No.”
Diane leaned forward.
“Who?”
Victor looked directly at me.
“Someone closer.”
My mouth went dry.
“Closer to who?”
“You.”
I stared at him.
“That makes no sense.”
Victor opened his briefcase and removed a printed email.
Thomas to Victor.
The Phoenix plan has internal backing. Elena cannot know. If she finds out, it collapses.
Attached was an authorization code.
I recognized the format instantly.
Only three people had access.
My father.
Me.
And my husband.
Diane frowned.
“Julian already had Elena’s credentials.”
“No,” I said.
“This code isn’t mine.”
I looked again.
Then stopped breathing.
It belonged to my father.
Diane went silent.
Victor leaned back.
“I told you.”
“No.”
“Elena—”
“My father would never—”
“Then ask him.”
I stood so fast the chair hit the wall.
I found my father alone in his office.
I threw the paper onto his desk.
“What is this?”
He read it.
His face emptied.
“Where did you get this?”
“Victor.”
He sat down.
“Dad.”
No answer.
“Look at me.”
He did.
“Did you authorize Phoenix?”
“No.”
“Then why is your code on this transfer?”
He rubbed his face.
“Because I gave it to someone.”
“Who?”
He stared at me.
My heart started pounding.
“Dad.”
May you like
His voice came out rough.
“Your mother.”
