Chapter 5 - SIENNA'S SECOND STORY
Sienna Vale was easy to dislike.
That did not mean Vivian intended to let Adrian silence her.
By 7:30 p.m., Daniel's investigators had located Sienna's apartment.
Vivian went there with two attorneys and a security specialist.
No one answered.
The doorman reported Sienna had left twenty minutes earlier carrying a suitcase.
"Was she alone?"
The doorman hesitated.
"A gentleman met her."
"Adrian Caldwell?"
"No."
He pulled up a security image.
The man wore a dark coat and baseball cap.
His face was partly hidden.
But Daniel recognized him.
"That's Thomas Pike."
Vivian looked at him.
"Who?"
"Caldwell Global's head of corporate security."
Vivian felt cold.
Adrian had sent company security to collect his assistant after she called Vivian.
"Where did they go?"
The doorman shook his head.
Sienna's phone went offline at 7:18 p.m.
Her corporate email account was disabled four minutes later.
At 7:35, Caldwell Global announced she had taken an immediate leave of absence for personal reasons.
Too fast.
Too clean.
Adrian was removing her from the board.
Vivian returned to Sterling offices.
Mara was waiting with another discovery.
Vale Strategic Advisory had received $2.8 million.
But the money did not remain there.
$900,000 had gone to real estate.
$420,000 to investment accounts.
$180,000 to Julian-linked entities.
Nearly $700,000 had moved again to another company.
Redwood Communications.
"What does Redwood do?"
Vivian asked.
Mara turned her laptop.
"Reputation management."
Vivian understood immediately.
Adrian had used company money routed through Sienna to fund outside public-relations operations.
Possibly including the stories attacking Vivian.
"He paid for his smear campaign with borrowed money."
"Looks that way."
Daniel entered.
"We found Sienna."
Vivian stood.
"Where?"
"Hotel in Jersey City."
"Is she safe?"
"She called our outside counsel."
"Why?"
"She wants immunity."
Vivian laughed.
"This isn't a criminal investigation."
"Yet."
An hour later, Vivian entered a conference suite at the hotel.
Sienna sat beside the window.
No champagne gown.
No diamonds.
No perfect makeup.
She wore jeans, a sweater, and fear.
Vivian sat across from her.
For several seconds, neither woman spoke.
Then Sienna touched her cheek.
The faint mark from Vivian's slap was almost gone.
"Did you come to do that again?"
Vivian looked at her.
"No."
Sienna looked ashamed.
"I deserved it."
"That's not why I'm here."
"I slapped you."
"Yes."
"I thought..."
She stopped.
Vivian waited.
"What?"
Sienna looked down.
"I thought you were nothing."
The honesty was almost refreshing.
"Adrian told you that."
"He told everyone."
Vivian's expression remained neutral.
Sienna continued.
"He said you inherited money but didn't understand it."
"He said the trust was ceremonial."
"Yes."
"He said the committee followed him because Caldwell Global made Sterling money."
Vivian nodded.
"What else?"
Sienna swallowed.
"He said your marriage was basically over."
Of course.
"He said you refused to divorce because you were obsessed with appearances."
Vivian almost smiled.
"Interesting."
"He said you hadn't shared a real marriage in years."
"Did you believe him?"
Sienna looked away.
"I wanted to."
"That's different."
Sienna's eyes filled, but she did not cry.
"He told me Meridian was our future."
"Ours?"
"He gave my company an equity allocation."
"In exchange for what?"
"I introduced consultants."
"Julian?"
Sienna nodded.
"Others?"
"Two directors."
Vivian's jaw tightened.
Names followed.
Both sat on Caldwell Global's board.
Both had privately supported the Blackthorne transaction.
"Did you pay them?"
"Not directly."
"Who did?"
"Northway."
"Controlled by?"
Sienna hesitated.
"Adrian's college friend, Evan Cross."
Vivian knew the name.
He had attended their wedding.
Adrian once described Evan as a struggling entrepreneur.
Apparently he had found a business.
Hiding money.
"Why did you call me?"
Sienna looked toward the door.
"Because Adrian lied to me too."
"About what?"
"Meridian."
Vivian waited.
"He said I would own twelve percent."
"The documents say strategic partners collectively own twelve."
"I know."
Sienna's face tightened.
"I saw the final cap table yesterday."
"How much do you own?"
"Two."
Vivian said nothing.
Sienna laughed bitterly.
"Two percent."
"You slapped me because a man reduced your eighty-million-dollar dream?"
Sienna flinched.
"No."
"Why did you slap me?"
"Because I was angry."
"At me?"
"At everything."
Vivian watched her.
Sienna's voice dropped.
"I learned two days ago that he never filed the transfer documents giving me the interest he promised."
"And you stayed."
"I thought I could force him."
"So you humiliated me."
Sienna looked ashamed.
"I wanted to prove I mattered more."
Vivian leaned forward.
"To him?"
Sienna's eyes met hers.
"To the room."
There it was.
Vivian understood.
Adrian had built two women around the same lie.
One was told she was too small to matter.
The other was told she was finally important because he had chosen her.
Both versions centered him.
"What evidence do you have?"
Vivian asked.
Sienna opened her handbag.
She removed a small encrypted drive.
"Everything."
Daniel's attorney reached for it.
Sienna held it back.
"I want protection."
"From Adrian?"
"From everyone."
Vivian looked at her.
"What is on that drive?"
"Messages."
"Payments?"
"Yes."
"Meridian?"
"Yes."
"Anything else?"
Sienna's face changed.
Vivian noticed.
"What?"
Sienna whispered.
"The beginning."
Vivian frowned.
"What beginning?"
"Adrian didn't meet you by accident."
The room became still.
Vivian stared at her.
Sienna placed the drive on the table.
"He knew who you were before your first date."
Vivian said nothing.
"He knew about Sterling Trust."
May you like
Sienna looked almost sick.
"And I have the emails proving why he married you."
