Chapter 4 - The Departure
Friday morning arrived under a heavy slate of gray autumn clouds.
Andrew stood in the grand entryway of our house, checking his gold Patek Philippe watch. He wore his custom navy suit, his leather garment bag slung over his shoulder, looking every bit the ruthless Wall Street titan he desperately wanted the world to believe he was.
Victoria had stopped by thirty minutes earlier under the guise of dropping off family documents for Julian. She stood near the front archway, wearing a beige cashmere coat, watching Andrew with hungry, possessive eyes.
"Are you sure you have everything, Andrew?" I asked, adjusting his lapel with gentle precision.
"Yes, Maya. Stop hovering, please," Andrew said, a flicker of irritation breaking through his friendly facade. He was eager to leave. Eager to begin the weekend that he believed would mark the beginning of my end.
"I just want to make sure you're taken care of," I said softly, looking straight into his dark eyes. "You've worked so hard for this family. You deserve... whatever comes to you this weekend."
Andrew hesitated for a fraction of a second, a strange, passing shadow crossing his face before he brushed it off with a cocky grin. "I'll see you Sunday night, Maya. Don't wait up."
"Goodbye, Andrew," I said.
He walked down the stone steps toward his waiting black Lincoln town car. Victoria followed shortly behind, offering me a tight, triumphant smile before stepping into her own Mercedes SUV.
I watched their cars disappear around the corner of the tree-lined avenue.
The second they were out of sight, my calm expression melted away.
I walked straight to my office, opened my laptop, and dialed Marcus on a secure video link.
"They've left," I said.
"Perfect," Marcus replied, his image appearing on the screen. "My team tracked the financial paper trail for the thirty thousand dollars planted in your account. You were right, Maya—there was a third accomplice."
"Who?"
"Dr. Charles Vance," Marcus revealed, turning a document toward the camera. "He’s the head of the maternity clinic at Manhattan General—and a major shareholder in Carter Holdings. Victoria didn't just go to any doctor to confirm her pregnancy. Vance falsified her medical records to show a gestation timeline that overlaps with a week Andrew was out of town three months ago, while making it look like Julian was the father on paper to keep Julian quiet until the trap was sprung."
I absorbed the information instantly. "So Vance was helping them manipulate both the medical records and the corporate liability filings."
"Precisely," Marcus confirmed. "He stands to gain millions in insider stock allocations once Andrew takes full control of the board. But here's the kicker, Maya: my investigator at The Grand Bay Hotel just reported that Victoria didn't drive straight to the hotel. She met Dr. Vance at a private lounge twenty miles outside the city first."
"They're double-crossing someone," I realized, a cold smile spreading across my lips. "Victoria isn't just playing me and Julian. She's playing Andrew, too."
"Looks like it," Marcus agreed. "What are your orders?"
"Let them assemble at the hotel," I commanded. "Have the federal process servers and corporate auditors arrive at The Grand Bay precisely at ten o'clock tonight. I want the entire paper trail delivered to the Carter Holdings Board of Directors at the exact same moment."
"Understood," Marcus said. "Get some rest, Maya. Tonight is going to be long."
May you like
I closed the laptop, walked into the quiet living room, and poured myself a glass of vintage sparkling water.
The house was silent. The trap was set. All I had to do was wait for the dominoes to tumble.
