Chapter 6 - THE OLD CRIME
Fifteen years earlier, Simon Hart had been an ambitious thirty-two-year-old finance director.
Adrian had trusted him.
When six million dollars disappeared from a Vale Biodyne reserve account, Simon produced transaction records identifying Evan Marlow as the employee responsible.
Adrian had signed Evan's termination himself.
He remembered almost nothing about the meeting.
That realization sickened him.
He remembered the numbers.
Not the man.
Rebecca sent the archived files.
Signatures.
Transfer codes.
Bank confirmations.
At first glance, everything implicated Evan.
But newer forensic software showed metadata discrepancies.
Three transfer approvals had been altered after the fact.
The user credentials belonged to Simon.
Celeste watched Adrian read.
“You knew,” he said.
“I suspected.”
“You married me because of it?”
“I married you because I wanted access.”
“To my company.”
“To the truth.”
“Then why abduct me?”
Celeste's confidence shifted.
“You think this was my original plan?”
“You're on the recording.”
“Yes.”
“Planning my disappearance.”
“I was planning to frighten you.”
Adrian laughed once.
“You arranged a fake driver and an isolated cabin.”
“I never authorized violence.”
“Daniel was beaten and tied up.”
“I didn't know.”
“Your security chief burned a cottage with a child nearby.”
Her face changed.
“What?”
For the first time, Adrian believed her surprise.
That did not make her innocent.
It made the conspiracy fractured.
“Victor set the fire.”
Celeste whispered, “He wasn't supposed to touch the girl.”
Adrian's anger sharpened.
“You say that as though it helps you.”
“It doesn't.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“It doesn't.”
Celeste sat down.
For the first time all day, she looked tired.
“I wanted you removed from the company for seventy-two hours.”
“Why?”
“So Simon would expose himself.”
Adrian stared.
She continued.
“I thought Simon was responsible for Evan. I couldn't prove it. He buried everything.”
“So you partnered with him?”
“I let him think I did.”
“And kidnapping me was part of your brilliant plan?”
“He told me you would be taken to Orchard House and held until the board vote.”
“That's kidnapping.”
“Yes.”
“Did you care?”
Celeste looked at him.
“I cared enough to insist you weren't harmed.”
Adrian's voice turned cold.
“You do not get credit for placing conditions on your husband's abduction.”
She accepted that without argument.
“What did Simon want me to sign?”
Celeste's expression darkened.
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie.”
“I don't.”
Adrian watched her carefully.
“Then who mentioned my biometric authorization?”
Celeste shook her head.
“That wasn't part of the plan I knew.”
Now Adrian understood.
Simon had not simply manipulated him.
He had manipulated Celeste too.
She thought she was using Simon to expose the truth about her brother.
Simon was using her resentment to gain legal control.
Adrian called Rebecca.
“Find every document pending biometric authorization.”
“There are four.”
“Read them.”
“Wexler acquisition closing.”
“Next.”
“Sale of Vale Defense Analytics.”
Adrian's face changed.
“To whom?”
“A private holding company called Redhaven Capital.”
“Value?”
“Eight hundred million.”
“What is the division worth?”
“Closer to three billion.”
Celeste stood.
“I've never heard of Redhaven.”
Rebecca continued.
“Third document is a licensing agreement transferring nineteen patents.”
“To Redhaven?”
“Yes.”
“And fourth?”
Silence.
“Rebecca.”
“An amendment to the Vale Family Trust.”
Adrian felt something cold enter his chest.
“What amendment?”
“It permanently transfers controlling voting rights to the emergency trustee if you're declared cognitively impaired.”
Celeste looked at him.
“That wasn't me.”
Rebecca said, “The beneficiary listed is Celeste.”
Adrian watched his wife.
She looked genuinely stunned.
Simon had built the entire scheme so that when the dust settled, Celeste would appear to be the beneficiary.
If discovered, she would take the fall.
Adrian finally saw the shape of it.
Simon wanted Adrian removed.
Celeste blamed.
Vale Global stripped of key assets.
And Simon left standing in the middle, apparently saving the company from a dysfunctional billionaire family.
Rebecca spoke again.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Redhaven Capital was formed nine months ago.”
“Owner?”
“Hidden through three shell companies.”
“Find it.”
“I already did.”
Adrian waited.
Rebecca said, “Julian.”
His half brother.
Daniel had not imagined the voice.
Julian was involved.
Celeste whispered, “No.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“You and Julian speak constantly.”
“Because he told me he had evidence about Evan.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Simon had played them all.
The resentful wife.
The indebted brother.
The complacent billionaire.
Each believed they were using the others.
Only one man possessed the full map.
At 4:20 p.m., another call came.
Thomas.
His voice shook.
“Mister Vale.”
“What happened?”
“Maya's gone.”
Adrian straightened.
“What do you mean, gone?”
“She was with me ten minutes ago.”
“Where?”
“Police station parking lot. I went inside to sign something. She waited in the car.”
Adrian's entire body went cold.
“Thomas—”
“The passenger door was open.”
Then Thomas began to cry.
“Her notebook is on the ground.”
A text arrived on Adrian's phone.
One photograph.
Maya sitting in the back of a vehicle.
Alive.
Terrified.
Beside it, five words.
BRING THE RECORDING TO ORCHARD HOUSE.
Adrian looked at Celeste.
Whatever uncertain alliance had existed between husband and wife ended in that instant.
May you like
There was now only one objective.
Bring Maya home.
