Chapter 6: The Invoice Behind the Wedding
Martin grabbed for Mr.
Bell’s phone.
The manager locked the screen and slipped it into his jacket.
“That image is meaningless,” Martin said.
Daniel moved in front of the ballroom doors.
“You came into our apartment?”
“I visited my daughter.”
“At two in the morning?”
Vanessa seized Daniel’s sleeve.
“Don’t let your mother turn you against us.”
“Us?” He pulled away.
“Your father used my laptop.”
Martin’s voice hardened.
“You gave Vanessa the password.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I did.”
I gripped the back of the chair.
“Did you give her access to my company files too?”
“No.
Mom, I swear.”
Vanessa laughed once.
“Tell her about the loan.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“What loan?” I asked.
He faced me without lifting his head.
“I borrowed one hundred and twenty thousand dollars against the cottage Dad left me.”
“That cottage was placed in trust.”
“Vanessa said Martin could arrange it.”
Martin adjusted his cuffs.
“Daniel signed every page voluntarily.”
“Where did the money go?”
Daniel looked at his wife.
“Her event business.”
Vanessa’s expression sharpened.
“Our future.”
“You told me the business had contracts.”
“It would have if your mother had transferred the shares.”
I moved closer to my son.
“Look at me.”
He raised his eyes.
“You laughed because you thought keeping Vanessa happy would protect what you had already done.”
His mouth shook.
“Yes.”
“Say the rest.”
“I was a coward.” His voice broke.
“You kept rescuing me, and I learned that you always would.
When Vanessa threw the cake, I chose her comfort over your dignity.”
My eyes burned.
Elena came to one side of me, and Mr.
Bell stood at the other.
“I love you,” I said.
“But I will not rescue you from this.”
Daniel wiped his face with both hands.
“I understand.”
Vanessa clapped slowly.
“Beautiful.
Now can we negotiate?”
“There will be no negotiation,” I said.
She lifted her phone.
“Then I’ll tell every guest Daniel helped forge the approval.”
Daniel held out his hand.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Give it to me, Vanessa.”
Martin stepped between them.
“My daughter and I are leaving.”
Mr.
Bell locked the ballroom doors.
“Not yet.”
He removed another paper from the black folder.
“The extra wedding charges were not the largest request made today,” he said.
“An invoice for two hundred and forty thousand dollars was submitted to our accounting office.”
I read the vendor name.
Vale Premier Events.
Vanessa’s event company.
Martin’s face tightened.
“That was a legitimate deposit.”
“For what?” I asked.
“Consulting services.”
Mr.
Bell pointed to the bank details.
“The receiving account was opened yesterday.
Vanessa Vale is listed as owner.
Martin Vale is the authorized signer.”
Daniel stared at his wife.
“You married me this morning and tried to take money from my mother before dinner?”
Vanessa backed toward the cake table.
Her hand closed around Elena’s phone, which had been placed beside the folder.
Elena shouted, “She has the recording!”
Vanessa lifted the phone over the champagne bucket.
“Open those doors,” she said, “or this goes into the water.”
A voice came from behind her.
“That would be destruction of evidence.”
May you like
Hotel security opened a side door.
A financial investigator stepped into the ballroom, holding a warrant with Vanessa’s name on it.
