Chapter 7 - Two Contracts
Elena stared at Marcus.
“That’s impossible.”
“It should be.”
He opened his briefcase and pulled out a printed contract marked EXECUTED COPY.
Elena knew every page of the agreement she had signed. She had negotiated the cancellation terms personally.
This version looked almost identical.
Almost.
On page nineteen, a new clause redirected a portion of performance bonuses to a consulting company called VHR Holdings.
Elena read the name twice.
Nathan went pale.
“VHR,” he whispered.
Elena looked at him. “What?”
He glanced at Claire. “Victoria Hale Rothman.”
Victoria’s maiden name.
Marcus nodded. “The company was opened six months ago.”
Elena’s hands shook. “How did this get past you?”
His face tightened. “Because I helped.”
Sophie swore under her breath.
Nathan lunged forward and grabbed Marcus by the jacket.
“You stole from her?”
Marcus shoved his hands away. “I never took a dollar.”
“You changed her contract.”
“I was blackmailed.”
Elena’s voice went flat. “With what?”
Marcus looked at her for a long moment.
“My father’s debt.”
He explained that two years earlier, his father had lost nearly everything in a failed construction business. Victoria’s private investment company had quietly purchased the debt. Then, three months ago, she called Marcus into a meeting.
Change the contract routing, she told him, or his father would lose his home and face aggressive collection.
Elena wanted to scream.
Instead, she asked, “Why come here tonight?”
“Because Walter called me.”
“When?”
“Forty minutes ago.”
Elena looked around. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He told me to bring everything and meet him by the service entrance.”
“You didn’t see him?”
“No.” Marcus hesitated. “But I saw your mother-in-law.”
Nathan stiffened. “Where?”
“In the underground garage.”
“With Elena’s laptop?”
Marcus nodded.
“And she wasn’t alone.”
A police officer entered the ballroom and walked directly toward them.
“Elena Marlowe?”
“Yes.”
“We found the vehicle connected to your stolen property report.”
Elena’s heart jumped.
“Where’s Victoria?”
The officer’s expression was careful.
“The car was abandoned four blocks away.”
“Was my laptop inside?”
“No.”
Nathan asked, “What was?”
May you like
The officer looked at him.
“Mr. Keene’s phone. Covered in blood.”
