Chapter 8: The Contingency
I couldn't speak.
Voss took the phone from my hand.
"Naomi, repeat that.""
I watched his face as she did.
His expression hardened.
"Send everything to counsel. Immediately.""
He ended the call.
Callum stared between us.
"What happened?""
I found my voice.
"Desmond created a plan to acquire my shares if I died.""
Callum's face emptied.
"No.""
"Naomi found it.""
"No.""
"You seem very certain.""
"Because Desmond didn't expect you to own Corvina.""
That was true.
My acquisition had been deliberately confidential.
Only Voss, my legal team and the selling shareholders had known my identity.
"So how could he prepare to buy shares he didn't know I owned?""
Voss looked at me.
"Unless the acquisition plan was created after tonight's announcement.""
"Three days ago," I said.
"The transfer happened three days ago.""
Callum frowned.
"Then somebody told him.""
Silence.
My eyes went to Voss.
He understood immediately.
"I didn't.""
"I didn't say you did.""
"But you're thinking it.""
"You knew.""
"About your purchase, yes.""
"Who else?""
"Your lawyers. The selling consortium.""
"And Corvina?""
"Martin had limited knowledge because of regulatory filings.""
Martin Bell.
The CFO currently speaking with investigators.
I called Naomi back.
"Ask Martin when he learned my identity.""
She returned six minutes later.
"Yesterday morning.""
"Then the transfer predates him knowing.""
"Correct.""
"Who else inside Corvina knew?""
"According to Martin? Nobody.""
Callum suddenly sat down.
"Unless Desmond knew before everyone thinks he did.""
I turned.
"How?""
He rubbed both hands over his face.
"Because of me.""
Of course.
There was always another layer.
"Explain.""
"Three weeks ago, Desmond asked me to investigate Ashcombe Capital.""
"Why?""
"He said he thought you were preparing for divorce.""
That sounded like him.
"He wanted to know what I could find about my assets?""
"Your trusts. Holdings. Recent investments.""
My skin crawled.
"Did you do it?""
"At first.""
Voss stepped toward him.
"You illegally accessed her financial information?""
"No. Public records. Corporate filings. Nothing protected.""
"And what did you find?""
"A chain of acquisition vehicles.""
Callum looked at me.
"I couldn't see the final target, but I knew you were moving a huge amount of capital.""
"And you told Desmond.""
"Yes.""
I wanted to hate Callum.
Maybe I did.
But his guilt looked genuine.
"Then Desmond guessed.""
"Maybe.""
"No.""
I paced toward the window.
"Desmond doesn't guess with $4.8 million.""
Voss nodded slowly.
"He knew.""
The question was who told him.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Oliver.
I opened the attached transaction history.
Seventeen attempts.
Most were small.
Testing access.
Then larger.
Then dormant periods.
But one date stood out.
Four months ago.
The same week Chairman Voss first contacted me about buying Corvina.
Someone had attempted to access one of my trusts forty-eight hours after that meeting.
I looked at Voss.
"Where did we meet the first time?""
"The Harbor Club.""
"Who knew?""
"My assistant.""
"Name?""
His face changed.
"Rachel.""
Rachel Moore had been Voss's executive assistant for nine years.
She coordinated board meetings.
Travel.
Confidential documents.
And executive calendars.
Including Desmond's.
"Call her.""
Voss did.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Nothing.
Then Callum spoke.
"Desmond knows Rachel.""
Voss looked at him sharply.
"Everyone knows Rachel.""
"No.""
Callum shook his head.
"I mean knows her.""
My stomach sank.
"Another affair?""
"I don't know.""
"But?""
"I saw them together last year.""
"Where?""
"A restaurant in Providence.""
"Maybe it was business.""
"At midnight?""
Voss looked furious.
I thought about Isolde.
The mistress everyone could see.
The red dress.
The stolen diamonds.
What if Isolde had never been the dangerous relationship?
What if she had been camouflage?
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Nobody spoke.
"Hello?""
Breathing.
Then Desmond.
"Wren.""
Every person in the room went still.
"Where are you?""
"That doesn't matter.""
"It will.""
He laughed quietly.
"You always did become brave when someone else was standing behind you.""
"No, Desmond. I became brave when I stopped standing behind you.""
Silence.
Then his voice changed.
"Callum is there.""
Not a question.
I looked at his brother.
"Yes.""
"Don't trust him.""
"That's rich.""
"Ask him what he did with the missing money.""
Callum's face tightened.
"What missing money?""
I asked.
"The part your father never found.""
"Desmond—"
"Ask Callum.""
Then the line went dead.
Callum stared at me.
"Wren.""
"How much?""
He said nothing.
"How much money did you take?""
His shoulders sagged.
"Two million.""
Voss swore.
"From my father?""
Callum shook his head.
"From Desmond.""
"Where is it?""
"I used it to build an insurance policy.""
"What insurance?""
He pointed to the flash drive.
"Enough evidence to destroy him.""
My phone vibrated again.
This time it was a text from an unknown number.
One sentence.
COME TO THE HARBOR CLUB IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
Below it was a photograph.
Rachel Moore sat at a private table.
May you like
Across from her was Desmond.
And between them lay my father's missing authentication device.
