Chapter 3 - Fifty Million Reasons
Vivian did not open the envelope until she was inside the hotel’s private executive lounge.
The gala continued two floors below, although almost no one was paying attention to the charity auction anymore.
Barry had attempted to cancel the emergency meeting.
Donald refused.
Malcolm refused.
Three independent board members had already arrived upstairs.
Laurel remained in the ballroom under the watch of two investigators who had asked her not to leave until they could speak with her.
Barry had disappeared into a corridor with his attorney.
Vivian sat at the end of a polished conference table while Zachary stood near the window.
She unfolded the insurance papers.
Her name appeared at the top.
Vivian Elaine Alston.
Insured.
Policy value: $50,000,000.
Beneficiary: an irrevocable corporate continuity trust.
Vivian looked at Malcolm.
“I don’t understand.”
“That trust is controlled by Barry.”
Her fingers tightened around the paper.
“But Barry would receive the money only if my death affected Crestview?”
“In theory.”
“In reality?”
Malcolm hesitated.
“In reality, the trust language allows its controller considerable discretion.”
Donald swore under his breath.
Vivian kept reading.
The application contained a signature.
Her signature.
Except she had never signed it.
She looked at Zachary.
“When did you find this?”
“Yesterday.”
“How?”
“Dad left his home-office laptop unlocked.”
Vivian looked at him sharply.
“You searched his computer?”
“I was looking for proof that Laurel was taking money.”
Donald interrupted.
“And thank God he did.”
Vivian did not answer.
She hated that her son had been placed in the middle of this.
But she could not deny what he had uncovered.
Malcolm slid another document toward her.
“The application claims you approved the policy during a private estate-planning meeting.”
“I never attended one.”
“We know.”
“Who witnessed the signature?”
Malcolm turned the page.
Vivian recognized the name immediately.
Peter Langford.
Crestview’s chief financial officer.
Her heart sank.
Peter had worked beside her for fourteen years.
His children had grown up with Zachary.
His wife had once spent Thanksgiving at Vivian’s house after her own mother died.
“No,” Vivian said.
Donald’s voice was grim.
“I called Peter forty minutes ago.”
“And?”
“He won’t answer.”
Vivian leaned back.
The betrayal seemed to have layers.
Every time she peeled one away, another waited beneath it.
The door opened.
Barry entered with attorney Grant Holloway.
Barry looked furious.
“You’ve made your point.”
Vivian stared at him.
“Have I?”
“You wanted to embarrass me. Congratulations.”
Vivian placed the life insurance document on the table.
Barry stopped walking.
She watched his face.
Not Laurel’s.
Not Malcolm’s.
His.
“Explain this.”
Barry glanced at the paper.
Then at Grant.
Grant said nothing.
Vivian repeated, “Explain it.”
Barry pulled out a chair.
“It’s a key-person policy.”
“On your wife?”
“On Crestview’s cofounder.”
“With a forged signature?”
“I was told you signed it.”
“By whom?”
“Peter.”
Vivian studied him.
Barry’s anger had disappeared.
Now he seemed cautious.
“That’s your answer?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Who suggested the policy?”
Barry hesitated.
That was enough.
Vivian stood.
“Who?”
“Laurel mentioned that several firms insure founders.”
Zachary laughed bitterly.
“Of course she did.”
Barry snapped, “Stay out of this.”
Zachary’s expression changed instantly.
“No.”
The room went silent.
Barry stared at his son.
Zachary continued.
“You don’t get to tell me to stay out of it anymore. You brought Laurel into our company. You lied to Mom. You let her steal money. You let her walk into tonight’s gala dressed like she was already your wife.”
Barry’s face reddened.
“I am still your father.”
“Then act like one.”
Vivian closed her eyes briefly.
Barry looked as though his son had struck him.
Perhaps he deserved it.
Malcolm spoke.
“We need to address tonight’s corporate emergency.”
Barry turned toward him.
“There is no emergency.”
Donald laughed.
“Twenty-four million dollars missing and a fraudulent life insurance policy on the cofounder sounds fairly urgent.”
“The money isn’t missing.”
Everyone looked at Barry.
Vivian’s voice became quiet.
“Where is it?”
Barry rubbed his forehead.
“Some of it was moved to secure overseas partnerships.”
“Which partnerships?”
“Laurel handled the details.”
Donald stood.
“You gave your assistant authority over twenty-four million dollars?”
Barry slammed his palm onto the table.
“She was acting under my direction.”
“Then you are personally responsible,” Malcolm said.
Barry looked at him.
For the first time, Vivian saw fear appear clearly.
Malcolm opened a folder.
“Under Crestview’s bylaws, the board may temporarily suspend executive authority when credible evidence indicates financial misconduct that threatens the corporation.”
Barry laughed.
“You can’t suspend me.”
Vivian looked toward Donald.
He nodded.
Donald controlled sixteen percent of voting shares through the Alston Family Trust.
Vivian personally owned twenty-two percent.
Zachary’s trust held another eight.
Three independent shareholders aligned with Vivian controlled nine more.
Together, they had enough.
Barry finally understood.
His face went pale.
“You planned this.”
Vivian almost smiled.
“No.”
She looked at Laurel’s bracelet lying on the table beside her.
“You planned it for me.”
The vote took eleven minutes.
Barry Alston was temporarily suspended as chief executive officer pending an independent forensic audit.
Vivian was appointed interim executive chair.
When Malcolm announced the result, Barry did not speak.
He simply stared at Vivian.
Twenty-three years earlier, they had started Crestview from two rented desks above a dry cleaner.
Barry had handled sales.
Vivian built operations.
Barry charmed investors.
Vivian made the company profitable.
Over time, magazines began calling Barry the visionary.
Vivian became the “supportive wife.”
She had allowed it.
Tonight, that ended.
Barry leaned close.
“You’re destroying everything we built.”
Vivian whispered back.
“No. I’m finding out what you did to it.”
He walked away.
Then Zachary’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face changed immediately.
“What?”
Vivian stood.
Zachary listened for several seconds.
Then looked at her.
“Peter Langford’s car was found abandoned near Oakland.”
Donald frowned.
“Where’s Peter?”
“No one knows.”
Malcolm asked, “Who called?”
“The investigator.”
Zachary swallowed.
“There’s more.”
Vivian felt the room grow colder.
“What?”
“Peter sent an email to Mom three hours ago.”
“I didn’t receive anything.”
“It was scheduled.”
Zachary looked down at his phone.
“It just arrived.”
Vivian opened her laptop.
The email appeared.
Subject:
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME
Her hands began to shake.
She clicked.
Peter’s message contained only four sentences.
Vivian, I am sorry.
I helped Barry conceal financial transfers because I believed I was protecting Crestview.
Laurel is not working alone.
If I disappear, look at Project Monarch.
Attached was a photograph.
Vivian opened it.
Three people sat at a restaurant table.
Laurel.
Peter.
And a man Vivian had not seen in seventeen years.
Her former business partner.
Charles Wexler.
The man who had once vowed to destroy Crestview after Vivian forced him out of the company for fraud.
Vivian stared at the photograph.
Donald whispered, “Monarch.”
She looked at him.
“You know that word?”
Donald nodded slowly.
“It was Charles’s original name for Crestview.”
Vivian’s blood ran cold.
May you like
This was no longer an affair.
It was revenge.
