Chapter 10 - THE MONEY UNDER ELEANOR’S NAME
The flash drive changed everything.
Not because Dominic became innocent.
He didn’t.
But guilt, like wealth, can be distributed.
And the Rourke family had distributed both carefully.
The records showed payments moving from Rourke Development to Caldwell Strategic Advisory.
From Caldwell to shell companies.
From those companies into accounts controlled by Richard and Eleanor.
Eleven million dollars over five years.
Some paid mortgages.
Some funded investments.
And nearly nine hundred thousand dollars had paid for Chloe’s lifestyle.
Apartments.
Cars.
Luxury vacations.
The wedding.
The million-dollar ring itself had not cost one million dollars.
Its appraised insurance value was $1.08 million.
The purchase price had been $640,000.
Paid through a Rourke Development corporate line of credit.
A struggling company had borrowed money to put a diamond on Chloe’s finger while employees worried about payroll.
“Did you know?” I asked Dominic.
“Not all of it.”
“Did you know company money funded the wedding?”
He looked away.
“Some.”
“Does Ethan know?”
“No.”
“Chloe?”
“Yes.”
Of course.
I felt almost embarrassed that I had ever considered Chloe shallow.
Shallowness was harmless compared with entitlement backed by accounting fraud.
Serena reviewed the files.
“These need forensic authentication.”
Dominic nodded.
“Do it.”
“What do you want in return?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“Nothing.”
I almost laughed.
“You planned to frame me twenty-four hours ago.”
“I know.”
“Now you expect me to believe you developed a conscience?”
“No.”
He rubbed his face.
“I developed fear.”
At least he was honest.
“Of your father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he told me this morning that if the guarantee becomes a criminal issue, I signed it.”
My breath caught.
“You didn’t?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“I believe Richard instructed his finance director.”
“Name?”
“Howard Pell.”
Serena wrote it down.
“Where is he?”
“Nobody knows.”
My father looked at Malcolm.
“Find him.”
Dominic continued.
“My father said the family survives by deciding who is expendable.”
That sentence sounded like Richard.
“And you’re expendable now?”
Dominic laughed.
“Apparently.”
I looked at him.
“How does it feel?”
He met my eyes.
“Like I deserve it.”
That stole my anger for one second.
Only one.
“I don’t need you destroyed, Dominic.”
His face tightened.
“I need you accountable.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
He looked at my stomach.
“I know now.”
I hated when he looked at the baby.
Some part of me still remembered his hand on my belly at night.
Still remembered him whispering good morning to her before me.
People who betray you do not become strangers instantly.
That would be easier.
You remember every good thing while learning what the bad things meant.
“Did you ever love me?”
My father turned away.
Serena suddenly became very interested in her notes.
Dominic’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Did you approach me because of my father?”
“Yes.”
“Did you continue seeing me because of him?”
“At first.”
“How long?”
He swallowed.
“Two months.”
“And after that?”
“You.”
I wanted to believe him.
That was the tragedy.
“Why not tell me?”
“Because I knew I’d lose you.”
“You lost me anyway.”
“I know.”
The baby kicked.
Hard.
I winced.
Dominic took one instinctive step toward me.
Then stopped himself.
That tiny act of restraint hurt.
“You should rest,” he said.
I almost told him not to pretend concern.
But concern and betrayal can coexist.
Humans are inconvenient that way.
“Leave the drive.”
“I will.”
“And Dominic?”
He paused.
“If your father asks you to destroy anything…”
“I won’t.”
“If he asks you to lie?”
“I won’t.”
“If Chloe or Eleanor call?”
“I’ll record it.”
Serena nodded approvingly.
He walked toward the door.
I stopped him.
“Why did your mother say things would be harder after the baby was born?”
Dominic froze.
He did not turn.
“Dominic.”
His answer came quietly.
“My father believed your trust would automatically create a separate account for the child.”
“It does.”
“He wanted you to sign before that happened.”
“Why?”
“Because once the account existed, any document involving your assets could receive extra scrutiny from trustees.”
I felt sick.
My daughter had not even been born and Richard had already treated her existence as a financial obstacle.
Dominic turned.
“I never wanted access to her money.”
“But you wanted mine.”
He had no answer.
After he left, my father sat beside me.
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t do this.”
“No.”
He looked toward the closed door.
“But I know men like Richard.”
“And?”
“I should have recognized the pattern sooner.”
“You barely knew them.”
“I knew enough.”
I looked at him.
“You really hate being unable to protect me.”
“Yes.”
“I’m thirty-two.”
“You could be eighty-two.”
I smiled despite everything.
His phone rang.
Malcolm.
He answered.
Listened.
Then his expression sharpened.
“You found Pell?”
A pause.
“Where?”
My father stood.
“What hospital?”
My heart accelerated.
He ended the call.
“Howard Pell checked himself into an emergency psychiatric facility this morning.”
“What happened?”
“He claims he is afraid for his life.”
“Of Richard?”
My father looked at me.
“According to Pell…”
May you like
He paused.
“He has copies of every document Richard asked him to forge.”
