Chapter 4: The Ring Was Never Just a Ring
Carver lunged for the pen.
Dante caught his arm and forced it down against the console.
“Move again,” Dante said softly, “and Reid will remove you.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Carver said.
“That pen tracks inventory.”
“Inventory doesn’t need a hidden transmitter,” Mara replied.
Sienna pointed toward the elevator.
“Enough.
Fire her, question Carver privately, and save what remains of our dignity.”
“Our dignity?” Mara looked at her.
“You tried to have me searched in front of the staff.”
“Because you were digging through my property.”
“The vase was inside Dante’s home.”
“And soon it will be my home.”
Dante released Carver and held out his hand to Reid.
“Open the pen.”
Reid twisted the silver barrel.
A narrow circuit board slid into his palm beside a strip of copper no wider than a thread.
“This copies badge signals,” Reid said.
“Anyone who passed close to Carver could have had their access credential duplicated.”
Carver rubbed his wrist.
“I didn’t know it was there.”
“You clicked it all day,” Mara said.
“You clicked it whenever someone walked past.”
“That is ridiculous.”
“Kitchen staff at seven.
Security at eight.
Dante outside his office at ten.” Mara opened her notebook.
“You clicked it seventeen times yesterday.
I thought it was a nervous habit.”
For the first time, Carver looked afraid of the quiet woman with the cleaning list.
Petra appeared in the corridor carrying Sienna’s garment bags.
She saw Reid, the open pen, and Carver’s face.
“What happened?” she asked.
Sienna moved toward her.
“Tell them you ordered the orchids.”
Petra’s mouth opened, but no sound came.
“Petra,” Mara said, “did you order them?”
Sienna gripped Petra’s elbow.
“Think carefully.
Your sister’s treatment is paid through my family foundation.”
Petra flinched.
Dante stepped forward.
“Take your hand off her.”
Sienna released Petra.
“I was reminding her who helped her.”
“No,” Petra whispered.
“You were reminding me what you could take away.”
Sienna’s face hardened.
“After everything I’ve done for you?”
“You made me sign the order,” Petra said.
“Carver gave me the florist account number.
He said it was a surprise.”
Carver shook his head.
“She’s lying to protect herself.”
Petra reached inside a garment bag and removed a folded delivery copy.
“I kept this because the company name was misspelled.
The usual florist is Whitmore Floral.
This says Whitmore Florals.”
Reid took the page.
Mara touched Petra’s shaking hand.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because Sienna said no one would believe hired help.”
Sienna laughed once.
“Listen to you both.
Two employees inventing a conspiracy because you resent the people paying you.”
Dante’s eyes went to the velvet ring case on the console.
“Reid, scan the ring.”
Sienna covered the case with her hand.
“Absolutely not.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
She lifted the diamond from its velvet bed and pushed it onto her finger.
“You gave this to me.”
“I approved a family ring for Saturday,” Dante said.
“I did not give you permission to wear it today.”
Reid raised his scanner.
A red warning flashed before he reached her hand.
“That stone contains an encrypted key,” he said.
Mara looked toward the security panel across the hallway.
“The camera wasn’t watching the corridor,” she said.
“It was watching anyone who approached the ring.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“That key authorizes transfers from the Marcel Family Trust.”
“How much?” Petra asked.
“Just over a billion dollars,” Reid answered.
Sienna pulled the ring from her finger and dropped it into the case.
Then every light in the penthouse went out.
May you like
In the darkness, Carver whispered, “Now.”
When the emergency lights returned, the velvet case was empty.
