Chapter 4: The Man Who Knew My Name
The man stepping out of the black SUV wore a charcoal suit, polished black shoes, and the kind of expression that suggested he had never once worried about being welcome.
He was in his late forties, with silver at his temples and a thin scar running beneath his left eye. He shut the door, straightened his cuffs, and glanced at the Porsche before looking directly at me.
“Ethan Carter?””
I didn't answer immediately.
Brianna had gone pale. Ashley was gripping my sleeve so tightly that her fingernails pressed into my skin.
Marcus stepped between Brianna and the stranger.
“Who are you?””
The man ignored him.
“I asked Ethan a question.””
“And I asked you one,” Marcus replied.
“You don't get to walk into a private situation and start issuing commands.””
The stranger finally looked at him.
“Marcus Reed, correct? Twenty-nine years old. Regional sales director. Recently engaged to the woman who has been telling you she has no financial problems.””
Marcus's mouth tightened.
“How do you know my name?””
“Because I make a habit of knowing the people involved in my business.””
He turned back to me and held out the envelope.
“Your accountant has been asking questions. I thought it would be more efficient to deliver the answers personally.””
I accepted the envelope without opening it.
“Who are you?””
“Victor Hale.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But Brianna reacted as though he'd struck her.
“Victor,” she whispered.
“You said you wouldn't come here.””
He smiled at her.
“And you said you'd have the money by Friday.””
“I told you I needed more time.””
“You've had six months.””
Ashley stepped forward.
“Leave her alone.””
Victor looked amused.
“That's touching. Does everyone here believe they're the hero of someone else's story?””
He nodded toward the old gray sedan.
“Lovely birthday arrangement, by the way. Very modest. I suppose the Porsche was meant to distract everyone from the missing money.””
My fingers tightened around the envelope.
“How do you know about the money?””
“Because some of it belongs to me.””
The parking lot seemed to grow quieter.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a photocopy of a bank transfer, several pages of correspondence, and a photograph of Brianna standing outside an office building beside Victor.
The transfer showed $18,500 leaving my company's account and entering a business account registered to a company called Northbridge Advisory.
A handwritten note appeared at the bottom.
Final installment received. Balance outstanding: $23,000.
I looked up.
“Brianna, what is this?””
She shook her head.
“Ethan, please. Let me explain before he twists everything.””
Victor laughed softly.
“Twists everything? Brianna, you were the one who approached me.””
“Shut up!””
“You asked me to help you get your boyfriend's company to finance a project. You told me he was too trusting to notice the difference between legitimate consulting fees and payments to a shell company.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You did what?””
Brianna began crying.
“I didn't know it would get this bad.””
Victor shrugged.
“That's what people say when they realize the consequences have finally arrived.””
I pulled out the photograph again.
“What's the project?””
Victor glanced at Brianna.
“Perhaps you should ask her about the investment opportunity she presented to your accountant.””
My stomach tightened.
Six months earlier, Brianna had told me about a digital advertising platform that supposedly needed a short-term cash injection. She claimed she had connections to its founders and could negotiate favorable terms.
I'd refused to invest company money without proper documentation.
She'd dropped the subject.
Or so I'd thought.
“You told me you abandoned that deal,” I said.
“I did!””
Victor raised an eyebrow.
“Then why did you authorize the first payment?””
“I was trying to get my money back!””
“Your money?”” I repeated.
She looked at me, then quickly away.
That was when I understood something.
The forty thousand dollars hadn't necessarily been the beginning of the story. It might have been the middle.
“Victor,” I said, “how much money are we talking about?””
He adjusted his cuffs.
“Seventy-three thousand dollars, including fees.””
Marcus swore under his breath.
Ashley covered her mouth.
I stared at Brianna.
“Seventy-three thousand?””
“I didn't take all of it!”” she cried.
“Some of it went to pay expenses. Some went to fix the situation when the investment failed.””
“What investment?””
Victor answered for her.
“A fake one.””
Brianna spun toward him.
“You told me it was legitimate!””
“I told you what you wanted to hear. You never asked for proof.””
“You gave me documents!””
“Documents you should have verified before moving someone else's money.””
I stepped closer to him.
“Are you admitting that you defrauded her?””
Victor's smile disappeared.
“Careful, Ethan. You have financial irregularities in your company's records, a woman who authorized the transfers, and a paper trail leading directly to your business. I wouldn't start throwing around accusations unless you know where the evidence points.””
He was trying to frighten me.
It was working.
But not in the way he expected.
I had spent years building my company from a small rented office into a profitable regional marketing business. Every dollar represented time, risk, and sacrifices no one had seen.
If the transfers had been unauthorized or misrepresented, I needed to know exactly what had happened.
“I'll have my attorney review everything,” I said.
“Of course.”” Victor smiled again.
“But before you do, there's another matter.””
He nodded toward the Porsche.
“Beautiful vehicle. Expensive gift. And a very unfortunate purchase if your company is about to face an investigation.””
Brianna suddenly looked at the car differently.
Her tears stopped.
“Victor,” she said slowly, “you told me Ethan didn't have that kind of money.””
Victor glanced at her.
“I told you he was less wealthy than you believed.””
She looked at me.
“Ethan, how much money do you actually have?””
The question was so absurd that I almost laughed.
After everything she'd just heard, the only thing she wanted to know was whether I was rich enough to make the trouble disappear.
I put the papers back into the envelope.
“That's not your concern anymore.””
Her expression hardened.
“You can't just abandon me when things get difficult.””
“You abandoned me when you decided I was worth less than a used car.””
Victor chuckled.
“Excellent. A breakup. That should make the next part easier.””
He pulled a second document from his jacket.
It bore my company's name at the top.
And beneath it was a signature that looked almost exactly like mine.
Almost.
Victor placed it on the hood of the sedan.
“Tell me, Ethan,” he said quietly, “have you ever seen this agreement?””
I stared at the signature.
Because I had never signed it.
May you like
But according to the document, I'd personally guaranteed every dollar Brianna owed him.
And the date printed beneath my name was six months old.
