Chapter 8: The Sister Who Sold the Family
Evelyn Carter arrived at the St. Charles Royale Hotel at 12:38 a.m.
She entered through the main doors wearing a cream-colored coat over a black dress.
Her silver hair was pulled into a neat bun.
She carried no handbag.
No briefcase.
Only a small leather folder.
When she saw Benjamin standing near the reception desk, she stopped.
"Benjamin.""
He didn't move.
"Evelyn.""
She looked toward Naomi.
"Hello, sweetheart.""
Naomi didn't respond.
Evelyn glanced at Grace.
"She's beautiful.""
Naomi tightened her arms around her daughter.
"Please don't.""
Evelyn's expression changed.
"Naomi, I understand you're upset.""
"Do you?""
"Yes.""
"Then explain why someone used my father's name to steal my inheritance.""
Evelyn looked at Benjamin.
"Can we speak privately?""
Benjamin pointed toward the conference room.
"We've been waiting.""
They entered together.
Robert placed the financial records on the table.
Evelyn looked at the documents and slowly sat down.
Benjamin remained standing.
"Did you sign the guest-management agreement?""
"Yes.""
"Did you approve the executive access credential?""
"Yes.""
"Did you authorize the payments to Whitmore Strategic Consulting?""
Evelyn looked at Harold's name on the financial records.
"I approved several consulting contracts.""
"Six million dollars' worth?""
"Not all of it.""
"Did you intercept Lorraine's email?""
Evelyn closed her eyes.
"Yes.""
Naomi felt her stomach turn.
"Why?""
Evelyn looked at her.
"Because your mother was making a mistake.""
Naomi stared.
"She was trying to tell Dad about financial fraud.""
"She didn't understand what was happening.""
"Then why stop her?""
Evelyn's voice rose.
"Because she was going to destroy everything!""
Benjamin slammed his hand against the table.
"Everything that you stole?""
Evelyn flinched.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then she began crying.
"I didn't steal the money.""
Benjamin stared at her.
"Then where did it go?""
Evelyn opened the leather folder.
Inside were several printed agreements.
She placed them on the table.
"I was approached by Magnolia Holdings two years ago. They wanted to invest in our company.""
Benjamin frowned.
"You told me they were interested in purchasing two properties.""
"They were.""
"And?""
"They offered me a position in their executive investment division.""
Naomi looked at her.
"You were planning to leave the family company?""
Evelyn nodded.
"I thought I could secure my financial future.""
Benjamin shook his head.
"You were already a multimillionaire.""
Evelyn looked down.
"It wasn't enough.""
The words hung in the air.
Benjamin pulled out a chair.
"Continue.""
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
"Magnolia Holdings wanted access to our acquisition plans. They wanted to know which properties we were purchasing and which hotels were struggling financially.""
"Why?""
"So they could buy those properties before us.""
Benjamin stared.
"You were giving our competitors confidential information?""
Evelyn nodded.
"And the consulting payments?""
"They were commissions.""
Harold leaned forward.
"Victoria told me those payments were for legitimate advisory services.""
Evelyn looked at him.
"Some were.""
Robert interrupted.
"Who authorized the trust amendment?""
Evelyn went silent.
Benjamin leaned toward her.
"Answer him.""
"I did.""
Naomi felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her.
"You changed my mother's trust?""
Evelyn looked at her.
"I didn't think it would happen this way.""
"How did you think it would happen?""
Evelyn swallowed.
"Magnolia Holdings wanted controlling interest in Carter Hospitality. They said they would pay enough money to secure everyone's future.""
Naomi shook her head.
"Whose future?""
Evelyn didn't answer.
"Mine?"" Naomi continued.
"My daughter? My father?""
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"Naomi, you have no idea what it was like being Benjamin's younger sister.""
Benjamin looked stunned.
"What does that have to do with anything?""
"Everything!""
Evelyn stood.
"You got the company. You got the recognition. You got the investors.
Everybody listened when you spoke. I spent my entire life being introduced as Benjamin Carter's sister.""
Benjamin stared at her.
"I gave you half the company.""
"You gave me a title.""
"I gave you a seat at the board.""
"You gave me a seat beside you. Never in front of you.""
Naomi looked at her aunt.
"So you stole from your own family because you wanted to be important?""
Evelyn's face twisted.
"I wanted something that belonged to me.""
Benjamin's voice was quiet.
"You could have asked.""
Evelyn laughed bitterly.
"You would have said no.""
"Perhaps. But I would never have stolen from you.""
For a moment, Evelyn looked genuinely ashamed.
Then Robert placed another document on the table.
"There's still one question.""
Evelyn looked at him.
"Which is?""
"Who authorized the transfer of the trust?""
Evelyn glanced at Benjamin.
Then she looked away.
"Thomas Reed.""
Benjamin frowned.
"You said you authorized it.""
"I signed the internal approval. Thomas arranged the legal transfer.""
Robert examined the document.
"Then who owns Magnolia Holdings?""
Evelyn's lips trembled.
"I don't know.""
Benjamin stared at her.
"How can you work with someone for two years and not know who owns the company?""
"They used a series of private investment entities.""
Robert opened another file.
"That doesn't make sense. Every limited liability company has a registered agent.""
Evelyn looked toward the door.
"Thomas handled everything.""
Benjamin leaned forward.
"Evelyn, where is Thomas?""
She shook her head.
"I haven't seen him in weeks.""
Naomi looked at the photograph of her mother.
"Did he threaten Mom?""
Evelyn didn't answer.
"Did he threaten her?""
Evelyn finally whispered, "Yes.""
Benjamin's expression changed.
"What?""
"Your mother found the payment ledger. Thomas told me she was going to report everything.""
Naomi felt tears gathering.
"What happened after that?""
Evelyn began shaking.
"I tried to convince her to wait. I told her we could fix everything quietly.""
"And?""
"She refused.""
Benjamin stepped closer.
"What did Thomas do?""
Evelyn looked at him.
"He said Lorraine was becoming a problem.""
Benjamin's face went pale.
"Are you telling me he had something to do with my wife's death?""
Evelyn started crying harder.
"I don't know.""
Benjamin grabbed the edge of the table.
"You don't know?""
"He told me she had a medical emergency. He said there was nothing anyone could have done.""
Naomi covered her mouth.
Her mother had been sick.
But nobody had ever explained why she had seemed so frightened during her final days.
Benjamin turned away.
Robert approached Evelyn.
"Did you witness anything that suggests Thomas caused her death?""
Evelyn shook her head.
"No.""
"Did you help him conceal evidence?""
Evelyn looked down.
"I deleted some emails.""
Benjamin stared at his sister.
"You helped cover up what happened to Lorraine?""
"I was afraid.""
Benjamin's voice cracked.
"So was she.""
Evelyn began sobbing.
Then a knock sounded at the conference room door.
Raymond entered.
"Mr. Carter, we located Sarah Mitchell.""
Benjamin stood immediately.
"Is she safe?""
"She's alive. An ambulance is taking her to a secure medical facility. She has a head injury, but she's conscious.""
Naomi exhaled shakily.
"Thank God.""
Raymond continued.
"She told officers Thomas Reed attacked her outside the warehouse.""
Benjamin looked toward Robert.
"Did they arrest him?""
Raymond shook his head.
"He escaped before officers arrived.""
Evelyn suddenly stood.
"Then we need to leave.""
Benjamin looked at her.
"Why?""
She pointed toward the window.
"Because if Thomas knows Sarah survived, he'll come here.""
Raymond frowned.
"How would he know that?""
Evelyn's eyes filled with terror.
"Because he has access to the hotel security network.""
Robert immediately turned toward his laptop.
"That's not possible. We restricted his credentials.""
Evelyn shook her head.
"Not all of them.""
She reached into the leather folder and removed a small printed photograph.
It showed Thomas Reed standing beside a man in a dark suit.
The man was older, with silver hair and a distinctive scar above his left eyebrow.
Benjamin stared at the image.
He recognized him immediately.
"That's impossible.""
Naomi looked at the photograph.
"Who is he?""
Benjamin slowly sat down.
"Arthur Whitmore.""
Harold's face went white.
Victoria wasn't in the room, but her husband seemed to have lost the ability to breathe.
Arthur Whitmore had been Harold's father.
He had supposedly died five years earlier.
But the photograph was dated just two months ago.
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And on the back, someone had written:
*The real owner of Magnolia Holdings.*
