Chapter 2: The Signature That Wasn't Mine
Grant appeared in the doorway, adjusting his cufflinks.
"What are you talking about, David?""
David Mercer, Rowan Works' chief financial officer, swallowed.
"The bank has suspended its approval of the credit facility pending an emergency review.""
Grant laughed.
"That's ridiculous. I personally negotiated that agreement.""
"Yes, sir. But you didn't personally guarantee it.""
The smile vanished from Grant's face.
David opened the document on his tablet.
"The guarantor is Bennett Capital Holdings.""
Grant frowned.
"So?""
David looked at me.
"Mrs. Rowan is the sole controlling owner.""
Silence.
For twelve years, Grant had believed Bennett Capital was simply an investment company I'd inherited from my grandfather.
He'd never bothered asking how much it was worth.
He'd never asked why several major lenders returned my calls within minutes.
He'd never asked why the company's biggest financing arrangements always seemed to receive unusually favorable terms.
He assumed I was lucky.
He assumed I was comfortable playing the supportive wife.
He had never understood that Bennett Capital had quietly financed some of Rowan Works' most important expansion projects.
"That's impossible," Grant said.
I adjusted the strap of my handbag.
"No. What's impossible is your belief that you can transfer assets you don't own.""
Sloane stepped into the hallway.
"Grant, what's happening?""
He ignored her.
"David, call the bank. Tell them this is an internal misunderstanding.""
David shook his head.
"They've already requested confirmation from Bennett Capital's legal department.""
"Then tell them to speak to me!""
"They won't.""
Grant's jaw tightened.
I watched him process the information.
It was almost fascinating.
The man who had spent the morning humiliating me in front of fourteen executives was now struggling to understand why a bank wouldn't take his calls.
"Leah," he said, lowering his voice.
"We need to discuss this privately.""
I checked my watch.
"You had two minutes.""
"Stop playing games.""
"I'm not playing.""
I turned to David.
"What exactly triggered the bank's review?""
David hesitated.
Grant immediately interrupted.
"That's confidential company information.""
I looked directly at him.
"Then perhaps you should have remembered that before presenting confidential ownership documents to my husband's mistress.""
Sloane folded her arms.
"I'm an executive here. I have every right to see company documents.""
"Your employment contract says otherwise.""
Her cheeks flushed.
Grant stepped between us.
"Leah, enough.""
David cleared his throat.
"There's another issue.""
I turned toward him.
"What issue?""
He glanced at Grant before opening another document.
"Yesterday, someone submitted a request to use Mrs. Rowan's 32% ownership as collateral for an eighteen-million-dollar personal loan.""
I felt the muscles in my stomach tighten.
"Whose loan?""
David didn't answer immediately.
Sloane suddenly grabbed Grant's sleeve.
"Don't.""
That one word told me more than any document could.
I looked at her.
"Was the loan for you?""
She released his sleeve.
"That's none of your business.""
I stepped closer.
"Eighteen million dollars secured against my shares is absolutely my business.""
Grant rubbed his forehead.
"It was a temporary arrangement.""
"Did I authorize it?""
He said nothing.
"Grant, did I authorize it?""
"We were going to explain everything.""
"That's not an answer.""
David turned the tablet toward me.
The application contained my full legal name, my ownership percentage, and a signature.
My signature.
Except the final stroke was wrong.
I knew because I'd signed my name thousands of times.
I zoomed in.
"Who witnessed this?""
David's expression changed.
I looked at the bottom of the page.
The witness was Richard Cole, Grant's attorney.
But there was another name beside his.
Martin Hale.
My oldest business partner.
The man who had sat beside me during the first Rowan Works negotiations.
The man who had held my mother's hand at her funeral.
The man who had once told me, "Leah, if Grant ever forgets who built this company, I'll remind him.""
I looked up.
"Where is Martin?""
David swallowed.
"He left the building twenty minutes ago.""
"Why?""
"I don't know.""
Grant reached for the tablet.
I pulled it away.
"Don't touch that.""
His voice became sharp.
"You're making a serious mistake.""
I looked at him.
"No, Grant. Someone already made a serious mistake. They forged my signature on an eighteen-million-dollar loan.""
Sloane began crying.
Not quietly.
She covered her face with both hands, then looked at Grant.
"You told me everything was legal!""
Grant grabbed her elbow.
"Not here.""
But the damage was done.
Fourteen executives had heard her.
And through the open boardroom door, several more employees were watching.
I handed the tablet back to David.
"Preserve every version of that application. Every email, every attachment, every approval record. Nobody deletes anything.""
David nodded.
"Understood.""
Grant stared at me.
"You're not authorized to give orders to my staff.""
I smiled faintly.
"Your staff?""
Then I looked at David.
"Check the shareholder register.""
He hesitated.
"Why?""
"Because I believe Grant has forgotten something else.""
David opened his laptop.
A moment later, his face changed.
He looked at the screen.
Then at Grant.
"Sir...""
"What now?""
David slowly turned the laptop around.
"There's been a change to the company's voting rights.""
Grant leaned forward.
"What change?""
David pointed to the date.
May you like
It had been filed three days earlier.
And the person who had approved it was Martin Hale.
