Chapter 7 - The Hidden Phantom in the Ledger
The cold morning light washed over the high-rise office building on Michigan Avenue,
where I sat inside the private conference room belonging to my attorney,
Arthur Vance.
Stack of financial ledgers,
printed bank statements,
and encrypted digital drives were spread across the glass table.
"The divorce papers are officially filed,"
Arthur said,
sliding a hot cup of tea toward me.
"With Daniel’s signature already secured,"
"the judge will finalize the dissolution of marriage within thirty days."
"That is a relief,"
I murmured,
watching the traffic move down the snow-covered street below.
"However,"
Arthur continued,
his expression growing solemn as he opened a thick blue folder,
"we found something alarming while auditing the joint investment accounts."
I leaned forward,
setting my cup down carefully.
"What did you find?"
"Vanessa Reed didn't just receive fifty thousand dollars from Daniel,"
Arthur explained,
pointing to a series of wire transfers.
"She was receiving monthly payments from a shell company registered in Delaware."
"And who owns that shell company?"
I asked,
my brow furrowing.
"That's the interesting part,"
Arthur replied,
tapping the screen of his tablet.
"The shell company isn't owned by Vanessa,"
"nor is it owned by her rival firm."
"It was funded directly by an offshore account linked to Marcus Croft."
I felt my breath catch in my throat.
Marcus Croft was the Chief Financial Officer of Bennett Enterprises,
Robert Bennett’s most trusted advisor for over fifteen years.
"Marcus?"
I whispered in disbelief.
"Marcus was the one guiding Daniel behind the scenes?"
"Exactly,"
Arthur confirmed.
"Marcus was using Vanessa to bait Daniel,"
"knowing Daniel’s ego would make him vulnerable to her charm."
"Once Daniel gave Vanessa the corporate access codes,"
"Marcus was planning to initiate an internal buyout of Bennett Enterprises stock at a fraction of its market value."
"Daniel wasn't just cheating,"
I realized,
the blood running cold in my veins.
"He was a pawn in a massive coup to unseat his own father!"
"Precisely,"
Arthur said.
"Daniel thought he was running a secret affair,"
"while Marcus was using that affair to destroy the Bennett family legacy from the inside."
I picked up the phone immediately and dialed Margaret’s private number.
She answered on the second ring.
"Emily?"
"Margaret,"
I said,
my voice tight with urgent energy.
"We need to meet right now at your estate."
"Is everything alright with the filing?"
she asked,
her tone instantly sharp and alert.
"The divorce is fine,"
I answered,
staring at Marcus Croft’s name on the document.
"But your company is in far more danger than Robert realizes."
May you like
"The real snake isn't Vanessa,"
"it’s sitting right inside Robert’s executive office."
