Chapter 5: The Assistant Who Finally Spoke
“That's a lie.””
Daniel Price's voice echoed through the lobby.
Olivia immediately stepped backward.
“I saw you.””
“You saw nothing.””
“You handed her the envelope yourself.””
Daniel pointed toward the receptionist.
“You need to understand what you're accusing me of.””
Richard raised one hand.
“Daniel, lower your finger.””
Daniel froze.
Richard looked toward Marcus.
“Have security escort Ms. Brooks to a safe office. She will give her statement without interference.””
Evelyn stepped forward.
“That's unnecessary. Olivia is an inexperienced employee. She doesn't understand executive procedures.””
Olivia's eyes filled with tears.
“I understand what I saw.””
Evelyn turned toward her.
“You've been employed here for eight months. You should be grateful you have a job.””
Richard's expression hardened.
“Is that how you speak to employees who report misconduct?””
Evelyn looked away.
Margaret Ellis placed the binder inside her briefcase.
“Mr. Carter, we need to preserve the original records. I also recommend that nobody involved in this matter access the executive archive until the investigation is complete.””
Richard nodded.
“Agreed.””
He looked at Marcus.
“Restrict access for both Whitmore and Price.””
Evelyn's head snapped around.
“You cannot do that without a formal review!””
Richard looked at her name badge.
“I'm the owner of this theater. I can suspend access to my property while an investigation is underway.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Sir, this is getting out of hand.””
Richard turned.
“No. It got out of hand when you decided my daughter was an acceptable target.””
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
For a moment, his expression softened.
“Ms. Carter, I want you to understand that I never intended for you to get hurt.””
Vanessa stared at him.
“You stood there while she slapped me.””
“I was trying to prevent a bigger incident.””
“A bigger incident?””
Her voice trembled.
“My baby was crying on the floor, and you were worried about an incident?””
Daniel looked down.
Vanessa continued.
“You could have helped me. You could have told her to stop. You could have called security for me instead of against me.””
Daniel said nothing.
Richard placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
“That's enough, sweetheart.””
But Vanessa shook her head.
“No, Dad. I want him to hear it.””
She looked directly at Daniel.
“You saw me as someone you could humiliate without consequences. That's what happened tonight.””
Daniel's face reddened.
Evelyn suddenly laughed bitterly.
“Wonderful. Now we're all supposed to feel sorry for her.””
Richard turned toward her.
“Not another word.””
Evelyn closed her mouth.
The medical nurse approached Vanessa again.
“Ms. Carter, we have a car ready. I would really like you to get checked.””
Vanessa nodded.
Richard leaned down and kissed Noah's forehead.
“Grandpa will be right back.””
Then he looked at Margaret.
“Let's continue.””
The group moved toward a private conference room beside the main lobby.
It was a beautiful room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the theater's grand staircase. A long mahogany table occupied the center. Portraits of legendary performers lined the walls.
Vanessa sat at one end, with Noah sleeping against her chest.
Richard sat beside her.
Margaret placed the binder on the table.
Thomas stood near the window.
Evelyn and Daniel were positioned opposite them.
Olivia had been taken to a separate office with a security supervisor.
Richard folded his hands.
“Let's start again. What exactly is this acquisition agreement?””
Thomas cleared his throat.
“The theater has been negotiating a partnership with Meridian Entertainment Group.””
Richard nodded.
“I know that.””
“The group wants to purchase a majority stake in the operating company and redevelop some of the unused property behind the theater.””
“Also known.””
Thomas hesitated.
“What you may not know is that the proposed transaction requires approval from the Carter Heritage Trust.””
Richard leaned back.
“Why?””
Margaret answered.
“Because the trust owns the controlling interest in the land. Without Vanessa's voting rights being transferred, the acquisition cannot proceed as drafted.””
Vanessa looked confused.
“So somebody forged my signature to sell something I own?””
“Potentially,” Margaret replied.
“We need forensic verification before reaching a legal conclusion.””
Richard looked at Thomas.
“When did you discover this?””
Thomas shifted uncomfortably.
“Last week.””
Richard's eyes narrowed.
“Last week?””
“Yes.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I thought it was an administrative discrepancy.””
“A discrepancy involving my daughter's ownership?””
Thomas looked down.
“I was waiting for confirmation.””
Richard stood.
“Waiting for confirmation while somebody prepared fraudulent paperwork?””
Thomas didn't answer.
Margaret opened another section of the binder.
“There's something else.””
She pointed to a paragraph.
“The acquisition agreement includes a clause stating that the trust's voting rights may be exercised by an authorized representative if the beneficiary is unavailable.””
Vanessa frowned.
“Who is the representative?””
Margaret scanned the page.
“Daniel Price.””
The room went silent.
Daniel immediately shook his head.
“That isn't possible.””
Margaret looked at him.
“Your name is here.””
“I never agreed to that.””
Evelyn turned sharply.
“Daniel.””
He looked at her.
“What?””
“Don't say anything stupid.””
Richard heard every word.
He slowly turned toward Evelyn.
“Interesting.””
Evelyn tried to smile.
“I only meant that legal documents are complicated.””
Margaret continued reading.
“According to this provision, Daniel would receive temporary authority over the trust's voting rights if Vanessa failed to appear for a scheduled verification meeting.””
Vanessa stared.
“What meeting?””
Thomas opened his tablet.
“Tomorrow morning. Ten o'clock.””
Richard looked at him.
“Who scheduled it?””
Thomas checked the calendar.
“The acquisition team.””
“And who sent the invitation?””
Thomas's expression changed.
He scrolled.
Then looked up.
“Evelyn Whitmore.””
Evelyn stood abruptly.
“I was following instructions!””
Richard's voice remained quiet.
“From whom?””
Evelyn shook her head.
“I don't know what you want me to say.””
“The truth would be a good start.””
Evelyn looked at Daniel.
He looked back.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Daniel slowly pulled out his phone.
“I have something.””
Evelyn's face changed instantly.
“Daniel, don't.””
Richard leaned forward.
“What do you have?””
Daniel swallowed.
“Messages.””
“What messages?””
“From the person who arranged the documents.””
Evelyn moved toward him.
“Daniel, think carefully.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“Ma'am, stay where you are.””
Daniel unlocked his phone.
He opened an encrypted messaging application.
Then he placed it on the table.
“I was told to deliver the envelope. I was told to make sure the invitation was never verified. I was also told that if Ms. Carter appeared, she should be kept away from the executive balcony.””
Richard stared at him.
“Who told you?””
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“She did.””
Evelyn shook her head violently.
“That's not true!””
Daniel scrolled through the messages.
Then he turned the screen toward Margaret.
A conversation appeared.
The sender was saved under a single initial.
*M.*
The first message read:
Make sure the Carter girl doesn't reach the boardroom.
The next:
If she asks about the documents, tell her the meeting has been postponed.
Then another:
Get her signature before Friday. Once the transfer is registered, nobody can stop the sale.
Richard's face went completely still.
“Who is M.?””
Daniel hesitated.
“I don't know his full identity.””
Evelyn suddenly laughed.
“You expect us to believe that? Those messages could have been created by anyone.””
Daniel looked at her.
“You told me to delete them.””
Evelyn's mouth closed.
“You told me to wipe the access logs too.””
Thomas looked shocked.
“Evelyn?””
She turned toward him.
“Don't act innocent, Thomas. You knew what was happening.””
Thomas shook his head.
“I knew there were irregularities. I didn't know about this.””
Richard placed both hands on the table.
“Enough.””
He looked at Daniel.
“Did you receive money?””
Daniel's eyes moved downward.
“Yes.””
“How much?””
“Twenty-five thousand dollars.””
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Richard looked toward the phone.
“From whom?””
Daniel opened another screen.
A bank transfer confirmation appeared.
The sender was a consulting company called Northbridge Advisory.
Margaret immediately photographed the screen.
“Mr. Price, do not delete anything.””
Richard looked at the company name.
“Northbridge Advisory?””
Thomas nodded slowly.
“I've heard of them.””
“Where?””
“They represent one of Meridian's largest investors.””
Richard stared at the message history.
Then his phone rang.
The caller ID displayed a private number.
He answered.
“Carter.””
A man's voice came through.
Smooth.
Confident.
Almost amused.
“Richard, I hear you've been asking some uncomfortable questions.””
Richard looked at Vanessa.
Then at Evelyn.
“Who is this?””
The man chuckled.
“You really don't recognize my voice?””
Richard's face changed.
He stood very slowly.
“Marcus?””
The caller laughed again.
“It's been a long time, brother.””
Richard's hand tightened around the phone.
Because the man on the other end wasn't a stranger.
May you like
He was his younger brother.
And the last time Richard had spoken to him, they had been arguing over the very theater he now wanted to take away from Vanessa.