Chapter 5: Seven O'Clock
Diane arrived at six fifty-three with a leather document case and two coffees from the place on the corner that opened early for the hotel kitchen staff.
She set one cup in front of me without asking.
"The access logs," she said, opening the case.
"IT pulled them at five this morning on my instruction.
I told them it was a routine audit."
"Did they ask questions?"
"One of them started to.
I told him the request came from ownership and he stopped." She spread three printed pages across the writing desk.
"Look at the dates."
I looked.
Fourteen separate access events on the Vance Group master asset register.
All within the past three weeks.
All from a device registered to Marcus's personal login.
"What did he open?"
"He didn't just open files." Diane pointed to a line near the bottom of the second page.
"He submitted a document amendment.
Eleven days ago.
It was flagged by the system as pending secondary authorization — which it never received, because the system requires your signature for anything above a threshold value."
"What was the amendment?"
She placed a single sheet on top of the others.
I read it.
Then I read it again.
Marcus had attempted to reclassify his minority shareholding in the Grand Regent from non-voting to voting status, and to attach to it a right of first refusal on any future sale of the property.
If it had gone through — if I had signed it without reading it carefully, or if someone had found a way around the secondary authorization — Marcus would have had effective veto power over the flagship property.
The one Sarah and I had built first.
The one her portrait hung in.
"He needed me out of the building," I said.
"There's a notary on the gala guest list," Diane said.
"I checked.
A man named Forsythe.
He's done work for Marcus before — private matters, not through our firm."
I set the paper down.
"Marcus was going to get me to sign something last night," I said.
"At the gala.
In the middle of the event, with Lily there, surrounded by people.
Something that looked routine.
And Forsythe was going to witness it."
"That's my read," Diane said.
"And if I'd been turned away at the door—"
"You'd have been tired, frustrated, focused on finding somewhere for Lily to sleep.
He'd have called you.
Offered to sort it out.
Asked you to come down to the gala for twenty minutes.
Just a quick signature, nothing important, we can talk about it properly tomorrow."
I picked up the coffee.
It had gone slightly cool.
"Can the amendment be voided?"
"It was never authorized.
It has no legal standing.
But I want to document everything before we confront him — the email to Harrison, the access logs, the amendment attempt, Forsythe's presence at the gala.
All of it in one file."
"How long?"
"Two hours."
"Do it."
Diane began gathering the papers.
Then she paused.
"Ethan.
There's one more thing."
I waited.
"The amendment listed a secondary beneficiary.
In the event of your death or incapacitation, Marcus's reclassified share would pass not to the Vance Group trust — not to Lily — but to a private holding company." She slid one more page across the desk.
"This company was incorporated eight months ago.
I don't yet know who owns it."
I looked at the page for a long moment.
"Find out," I said.
She nodded and closed the case.
From the bedroom, I heard Lily's voice — small, just waking.
"Daddy?"
"Right here," I called back.
"Come out when you're ready.
We'll get breakfast."
A pause.
Then the soft sound of small feet on the floor.
Whatever Marcus had built in the dark, he had built it carefully.
May you like
But he had made one mistake.
He had underestimated how much I paid attention when someone tried to keep me away from something I'd built with Sarah.
