Chapter 6 - THE WRONG ALLY
Adrian read the message twice.
Marcus noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
The meeting adjourned for one hour while outside counsel reviewed the disputed transfers.
Adrian rolled into a private office.
Marcus followed.
“Now tell me.”
Adrian turned the phone around.
Marcus read Elena’s message.
His face tightened.
“You think I’m involved?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Marcus had been Adrian’s attorney for nine years.
He had negotiated acquisitions.
Handled lawsuits.
Sat beside Adrian’s hospital bed after the crash.
Adrian hated himself for hesitating.
Then Marcus said something strange.
“I told you not to go to the Whitmore that night.”
Adrian went still.
“What?”
“The night of your accident.”
“You told me not to drive.”
“No. I told you not to go.”
Adrian stared at him.
“Why?”
Marcus exhaled.
“Because Claire called me.”
Everything inside Adrian sharpened.
“When?”
“Two hours before the dinner.”
“What did she say?”
“She said Grant was planning to force you into approving a restructuring package.”
“And you never told me?”
“I tried.”
“You said you were worried I was overworked.”
“I couldn’t prove anything.”
Adrian slammed his palm against the armrest.
“You knew something was wrong.”
“Yes.”
“And you kept representing them?”
“I represent you.”
“You represented the company.”
Marcus raised his voice.
“Because if I walked away, I lost access to every document I was trying to preserve!”
Silence.
Marcus opened his briefcase.
He removed a small flash drive.
“I copied the original metadata from your proxy before Claire’s legal team replaced the file on the company server.”
Adrian stared at it.
“You have proof?”
“Partial proof.”
“Why didn’t you show me?”
“Because somebody tried to kill you last night.”
Marcus leaned closer.
“And I needed to know who else knew I had this.”
Adrian’s anger cooled.
A little.
His phone rang.
Elena.
He answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
“At my apartment.”
“Why did you tell me not to trust Marcus?”
“Because his name is on the Northline incorporation documents.”
Adrian looked at Marcus.
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Damn it.”
Adrian put the call on speaker.
Elena continued.
“I searched the public filing this morning.”
Marcus spoke.
“I formed it.”
Elena went silent.
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“For who?”
Marcus sat down.
“Grant.”
Adrian felt something ugly twist in his chest.
“You created the shell company?”
“Legally. Four years ago.”
“For what?”
“He said it was for confidential acquisitions.”
“And you believed him?”
“At the time.”
Adrian stared at the man he trusted most.
Marcus opened his mouth.
Then Elena suddenly screamed through the phone.
A crash followed.
Adrian shot upright.
“Elena?”
No answer.
“ELENA!”
A man’s voice came faintly through the speaker.
May you like
“Give me the phone.”
Then the call went dead.
