Chapter 5: The Messages Nobody Was Supposed to See
At 8:15 the following morning, Daniel Hayes entered the executive conference room on the thirty-second floor of Parallel Group's headquarters.
The glass walls overlooked the city.
A long black table occupied the center of the room. Laptops were open. Printed bank statements were arranged in neat piles.
Olivia Grant was already seated.
Marcus Reed stood beside the screen.
Two members of the legal department were reviewing documents.
Ethan Brooks entered last.
He wore a dark navy suit, but the confidence he had displayed at the gala was gone.
“Good morning,” he said.
Daniel pointed toward an empty chair.
“Sit down, Ethan.””
Ethan placed his briefcase beside the table.
“Have we received the full report?””
“Not yet,” Olivia answered.
“But we have enough preliminary information to identify several concerns.””
Daniel folded his hands.
“Let's begin.””
Marcus displayed the transaction summary.
“The original acquisition agreement authorized a payment of twelve million dollars. The revised agreement increased that amount by four hundred and eighty thousand dollars.””
Ethan nodded.
“I've already explained that the seller requested additional consulting services.””
Olivia changed the slide.
“However, the additional payment wasn't sent directly to the seller. It was transferred through a consulting intermediary.””
She displayed another document.
“Richard Cole Consulting.””
Ethan looked at the screen.
“That's correct.””
“Richard Cole is Vanessa Cole's brother.””
“Yes.””
“And Vanessa Cole is listed as the director of the company that ultimately received the funds.””
Ethan leaned back.
“I understand the connection. But the consulting work was legitimate.””
Daniel looked at him.
“Show us the work.””
Ethan opened his briefcase.
“I have the proposal.””
He placed several pages on the table.
Olivia examined them.
The proposal described market analysis, regional acquisition research, and strategic advisory services.
The document looked professional.
But something was missing.
“Where are the deliverables?”” Olivia asked.
Ethan frowned.
“What?””
“The actual work. Reports, research, correspondence, meeting notes. Where are they?””
“The consultant was still preparing the final package.””
Olivia turned another page.
“The payment was made before the work was completed?””
“It was an advance.””
“Who approved the advance?””
Ethan looked at Daniel.
“I did.””
Daniel's expression didn't change.
“Under which authority?””
Ethan shifted.
“My regional executive authority.””
“You were authorized to approve operational expenses up to fifty thousand dollars.””
“This was part of the acquisition.””
“And the acquisition budget required my approval for additional payments.””
Ethan said nothing.
Daniel leaned back.
“Why did you bypass that requirement?””
“I believed the deal would collapse without the adjustment.””
“Did you have evidence of that?””
“The seller's representative told me.””
“Name?””
Ethan hesitated.
“Richard Cole.””
Olivia slowly lowered the proposal.
“Richard Cole represented the seller?””
Ethan nodded.
“That's what he told me.””
Marcus looked toward Daniel.
“That's a conflict of interest.””
Daniel nodded.
“Indeed.””
Ethan rubbed his hands together.
“Sir, I understand how this looks. But I didn't personally receive any of the money.””
Daniel looked at him.
“That's a different question.””
“What do you mean?””
“Whether you received money personally is only one part of the investigation. We also need to establish whether you knowingly approved a payment to a related party without proper disclosure.””
Ethan's face tightened.
“I didn't know Vanessa owned the company.””
Olivia opened another document.
“Then perhaps you can explain this email.””
She turned her laptop toward him.
The subject line read:
*VC STRATEGIC — PAYMENT CONFIRMATION*
The email had been sent from Ethan's corporate account to Richard Cole.
Its timestamp was two days before the revised acquisition agreement.
Ethan leaned forward.
His eyes moved across the screen.
Then his expression changed.
Daniel spoke.
“Read the highlighted paragraph.””
Ethan didn't move.
“Sir, I'd rather review the complete email chain first.””
“It's available to you.””
Olivia scrolled.
The highlighted message contained a single sentence.
*Once the additional consulting fee is approved, transfer the agreed portion to the secondary account. Vanessa's company can receive the remainder.*
Nobody spoke.
Ethan looked up.
“This is being taken out of context.””
Daniel remained still.
“Then provide the context.””
Ethan swallowed.
“I need to speak with Richard.””
“You'll have an opportunity to respond through the investigation.””
“But—”
“Ethan, did you send that email?””
He looked at the screen.
“Yes.””
“Did you authorize the transfer?””
“I authorized the consulting payment.””
“Did you know the funds would be divided between two accounts?””
Ethan hesitated.
“I was told it was part of the arrangement.””
“By whom?””
Ethan looked down.
“Richard.””
Daniel closed the folder.
“Then we need to speak with him.””
Across town, Vanessa sat in her brother's apartment.
Richard Cole was pacing beside the kitchen island.
His shirt was wrinkled. His eyes were red from lack of sleep.
A half-empty coffee cup sat beside a stack of documents.
“You shouldn't have come here,” he said.
Vanessa stared at him.
“You told me to come.””
“I didn't think you'd actually do it.””
“Richard, what is going on?””
He stopped pacing.
“Do you remember the company registration papers I asked you to sign last year?””
Vanessa nodded slowly.
“You said it was for a property investment.””
“I needed a director on record.””
“You said it was temporary.””
“It was.””
She leaned forward.
“Why is the company receiving money from Parallel Group?””
Richard rubbed his face.
“Because Ethan needed a consulting intermediary.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“Ethan?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because the seller wanted an additional payment. Ethan arranged it through my company.””
She shook her head.
“Why use my name?””
“Because I couldn't be listed as the director. I already had a conflict with another contract.””
Vanessa stood.
“You used my identity?””
“I used the documents you signed.””
“You told me it was a property company!””
Richard raised his voice.
“Keep your voice down!””
She stared at him.
“Did you steal four hundred and eighty thousand dollars?””
Richard looked away.
“We didn't steal anything. The payment was approved.””
“By Ethan?””
“Yes.””
“Did the seller actually request it?””
Richard didn't answer.
Vanessa's hands began trembling.
“Richard.””
He finally looked at her.
“The additional fee was never intended to go to the seller.””
Her face drained of color.
“Then where was it going?””
“Some of it was supposed to cover consulting expenses. The rest was divided between the people who made the arrangement possible.””
Vanessa took a step backward.
“Who got the rest?””
Richard looked at her.
“Ethan.””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“He was the one who arranged it.””
“No. Ethan wouldn't do that.””
Richard laughed without humor.
“You think your boyfriend became a CEO by being innocent?””
Vanessa slapped her hand against the kitchen island.
“Don't talk about him like that!””
“Then stop pretending you don't know how this world works.””
She grabbed her purse.
“I want my name removed from the company.””
“That's not possible now.””
“Why?””
“Because the money has already moved.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“Where?””
Richard didn't answer.
Her phone rang.
Ethan.
She answered immediately.
“Ethan?””
His voice was cold.
“Where are you?””
“At my brother's apartment.””
Silence.
Then he asked:
“Why?””
“Because Richard is explaining everything.””
“Put him on the phone.””
Vanessa looked at her brother.
“Ethan wants to speak with you.””
Richard shook his head.
“Tell him I'm busy.””
Ethan heard the exchange.
“Vanessa, listen to me carefully. Don't let him delete anything. Don't sign anything. Don't touch the company accounts.””
Her heart began racing.
“Why?””
“Because the investigators have emails.””
Vanessa looked at Richard.
His face had turned pale.
“What emails?””
“The ones between him and me.””
Richard suddenly reached for the phone.
“Give me that!””
Vanessa stepped away.
Ethan's voice grew louder.
“Vanessa, are you still there?””
“Yes.””
“I need you to understand something. I didn't know your name was being used until last night.””
Richard laughed bitterly.
“That's a lie!””
Vanessa covered the microphone.
“Stop!””
Ethan continued.
“I'm coming over.””
“Don't,” she whispered.
“Vanessa, we need to talk face-to-face.””
The call ended.
Richard stared at her.
Then he opened a drawer and pulled out a thick envelope.
“I was hoping I wouldn't have to show you this.””
He placed it on the kitchen island.
Vanessa looked down.
Inside were copies of bank transfers, registration documents, and a series of printed messages.
One page had her signature.
Another had Ethan's.
And the final document contained a handwritten note.
*If Daniel Hayes discovers the arrangement, use Vanessa as the point of contact. She can deny involvement, and the company will take time to establish the real beneficiaries.*
Vanessa read it twice.
Then she looked at her brother.
“Who wrote this?””
Richard's face tightened.
“Ethan.””
Her fingers went numb.
“You're lying.””
Richard shook his head.
“I wish I were.””
A knock sounded at the apartment door.
Three hard knocks.
Richard looked toward the entrance.
Vanessa whispered.
“Is that Ethan?””
Richard didn't answer.
He walked toward the door, looked through the peephole, and stepped back.
His face had turned completely white.
“Vanessa…”
“What?””
“It's not Ethan.””
He slowly turned the lock.
The door opened.
Two people stood in the hallway.
One wore a dark suit and carried an official-looking folder.
The other held up an identification card.
“Richard Cole?””
Richard nodded.
“We need to ask you some questions regarding a financial transaction involving Parallel Group of Industries.””
Vanessa gripped the kitchen island.
The second investigator looked past Richard.
“Is Vanessa Cole here?””
She stepped forward.
“I'm Vanessa.””
The investigator opened the folder.
“We have a few questions about your company.””
Vanessa looked down at the documents in her hand.
And then she noticed something that made her blood run cold.
The handwritten note wasn't the only document inside the envelope.
There was a second page.
A printed photograph.
It showed Daniel Hayes entering his office building.
Someone had written a date beneath it.
The date was from three months earlier.
May you like
And beside it were five words:
*He must never see this.*
