Chapter 2: The Signature That Could Destroy Me
For a moment, I couldn't breathe.
The name at the bottom of the document wasn't Adrian's.
It wasn't Vanessa's.
It was Sophie Bennett.
My assistant.
My closest friend.
The woman who had worked beside me for six years, attended my mother's funeral, and held my hand when I couldn't bring myself to enter the family house after Isabelle died.
I looked at Celeste.
"Why is Sophie's name on this document?""
Celeste carefully closed the folder.
"That's what I was hoping you could help me understand.""
I turned toward the crowd.
Sophie was standing near the executive entrance.
Her tablet was pressed against her chest.
Our eyes met.
She looked away.
A chill moved down my spine.
"Bring her here," I said.
Celeste nodded to security.
But Adrian suddenly stepped between us.
"Don't involve Sophie.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"Because this is a corporate matter. You don't understand the legal implications.""
I almost laughed.
"You've just told me that someone is trying to transfer my controlling interest without my permission. I think I understand enough.""
Adrian lowered his voice.
"Eleanor, please. Not here.""
"Not here?"" I repeated.
"You chose to humiliate me in front of the entire fashion world. You don't get to decide where this conversation happens.""
Vanessa stood beside him, gripping her handbag.
"Adrian, we should leave.""
He ignored her.
"Eleanor, listen to me. The company needs new leadership. You've been absent.
Investors are nervous. I was trying to protect what your mother built.""
"By stealing it?""
"By making decisions!""
"You mean decisions that benefit you?""
His face hardened.
"You're emotional. You've always been emotional about this company.""
I stared at him.
Seven years of marriage.
Seven years of pretending that his dismissiveness was confidence and his selfishness was ambition.
And now he was standing in front of hundreds of people, explaining why I wasn't qualified to control my own inheritance.
Celeste stepped forward.
"Mr. Cole, I suggest you choose your next words carefully.""
Adrian turned toward her.
"With respect, Celeste, this company has been struggling under Eleanor's leadership.""
Celeste's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting. Your quarterly reports show record growth.""
"That doesn't tell the whole story.""
"Then perhaps you should explain the missing funds.""
His expression changed.
I looked at Celeste.
"Missing funds?""
She opened her folder again.
"Three payments were made from the corporate acquisition account to a consulting company registered in the Cayman Islands.""
My stomach tightened.
"How much?""
"Four point eight million dollars.""
I turned toward Adrian.
He shook his head immediately.
"That's a normal business transaction.""
"To whom?"" I asked.
He hesitated.
Celeste answered for him.
"Silver Crown Advisory.""
I had never heard of it.
"Who owns it?""
Celeste looked directly at Adrian.
"That's what our auditors are investigating.""
Vanessa suddenly stepped backward.
"Adrian, you told me that money was from your private investments.""
He spun toward her.
"Not now.""
"Four point eight million?""
"Vanessa!""
Her voice rose.
"You said we were going to have our own company!""
The guests were no longer pretending not to listen.
Phones were recording.
A fashion editor whispered into her companion's ear.
I could practically hear tomorrow's headlines being written.
I took a breath.
"Celeste, I want the complete audit.""
"You'll have it.""
"And I want every transfer made without my authorization frozen.""
Celeste nodded.
"Already initiated.""
Adrian's face darkened.
"You can't do that.""
I looked at him.
"Watch me.""
Twenty minutes later, we were in the private executive lounge.
The room overlooked the Seine.
Tall windows reflected the city lights, and a long marble table separated me from Adrian, Vanessa, and Sophie.
Celeste sat at my right.
Two corporate attorneys sat opposite us.
Sophie stood near the door.
I hadn't invited her to sit.
Not yet.
"Start talking," I said.
Sophie swallowed.
"Eleanor, I can explain.""
"Then explain.""
She placed her tablet on the table.
"I was asked to process a series of administrative documents. Adrian said they were routine restructuring papers.""
"Did you read them?""
"Yes.""
"Then why did you sign?""
She looked down.
"Because he told me you had approved the transfer.""
I leaned back.
"Did you speak to me?""
"No.""
"Did you call me?""
"No.""
"Did you send me an email?""
She shook her head.
"Then what exactly made you believe him?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Adrian said you were planning to leave the company. He said you wanted to move to Switzerland and start a new life.""
I stared at her.
"And you believed that?""
"He showed me messages.""
My hands went cold.
"What messages?""
Sophie unlocked her tablet.
A folder appeared.
Inside were screenshots of conversations supposedly written by me.
One message read:
I don't care what happens to Moreau anymore. Adrian can take over everything. I just want out.
Another said:
Make sure the transfer happens before Fashion Week. I don't want to deal with the paperwork afterward.
I read them twice.
Then I looked at Sophie.
"I never wrote these.""
She nodded slowly.
"I know that now.""
"How?""
She hesitated.
"Because I checked the email metadata this morning. The messages were created on a device registered to Adrian's office.""
The room went quiet.
Adrian stood up.
"That's ridiculous.""
One of the attorneys raised a hand.
"Mr. Cole, please sit down.""
Adrian ignored him.
"Eleanor, you know how much pressure I've been under. I was trying to keep the business running.""
I looked at him.
"By forging my messages?""
"I didn't forge anything.""
"Then why is your device connected to them?""
He had no answer.
Vanessa shifted in her chair.
"Can I leave?""
Celeste looked at her.
"Not until we understand how you became involved.""
Vanessa's face flushed.
"I have nothing to do with his business.""
"Then you won't mind answering a few questions.""
Vanessa looked at Adrian.
He shook his head slightly.
It was a small movement.
But I saw it.
He was telling her to remain silent.
I smiled without humor.
"Interesting.""
Adrian glared at me.
"Don't.""
"Don't what?""
"Play games.""
I placed my mother's necklace on the table.
The emerald caught the light.
"That necklace was the last gift my mother gave me. You knew that. You watched me wear it every year on her birthday.""
He looked away.
"So why did you give it to Vanessa?""
Adrian exhaled.
"She liked it.""
I felt the room tilt.
"She liked it?""
"It was just jewelry, Eleanor.""
I looked at him for several seconds.
Then I turned to Celeste.
"Have the security footage from the private collection room retrieved.""
Adrian's head snapped up.
"What?""
I didn't look at him.
"The emerald wasn't in my jewelry safe yesterday. It was in the private collection room. Only a handful of people have access.""
Celeste nodded.
"I'll arrange it.""
Adrian's face had gone pale again.
Vanessa stared at him.
"Adrian, you said you bought it.""
He closed his eyes.
And suddenly, I understood something.
Vanessa hadn't stolen the necklace herself.
Adrian had taken it from my family's collection and given it to her.
He had stolen a memory and wrapped it in a gift box.
The attorney named Richard opened his laptop.
"Mrs. Vale, there's a more urgent issue.""
I turned toward him.
"What?""
"The attempted share transfer was only one part of the arrangement.""
He displayed another document.
It was a proposed acquisition agreement between Moreau Fashion Group and an investment company called Northbridge Capital.
I recognized the company.
Northbridge had approached us six months earlier with an aggressive offer to acquire several of our European operations.
I had rejected it.
"They're buying the company?"" I asked.
"Not exactly," Richard replied.
"They were planning to acquire a controlling position through a series of staged transactions.""
Celeste leaned forward.
"Who negotiated the agreement?""
Richard scrolled down.
"Adrian Cole.""
I looked at my husband.
He rubbed his forehead.
"Northbridge was offering a strategic partnership.""
"At what valuation?"" I asked.
Richard named the figure.
I stared at him.
It was less than half the company's actual value.
My mother's work.
Thousands of employees.
Decades of design archives.
All of it being sold for a fraction of what it was worth.
"Who was going to receive the difference?"" I asked.
Richard hesitated.
"That is still being investigated.""
Adrian slammed his palm against the table.
"This is insane! Eleanor, you have no idea what you're doing.""
I stood.
"No, Adrian. I think I'm finally beginning to understand what you've been doing.""
He stepped closer.
"You need me.""
The words were quiet.
Almost desperate.
For a second, I remembered the young man at the charity auction.
The man who had held my coat while I searched for my keys.
The man who had told me I was the most extraordinary woman he'd ever met.
I looked at him now.
"No," I said.
"I needed you to love me. I needed you to be honest. I needed you to respect the woman you married.""
My voice remained steady.
"But I never needed you to own what was already mine.""
His eyes hardened.
"You'll regret this.""
Celeste rose.
"Mr. Cole, that sounds remarkably like a threat.""
Adrian grabbed his jacket.
"I'm leaving.""
Richard spoke calmly.
"Your access to the company's financial systems has been suspended. Please do not remove any company property or attempt to contact employees regarding this investigation.""
Adrian stopped.
"What?""
Celeste smiled coldly.
"You heard him.""
For the first time, my husband looked completely powerless.
Vanessa stood and followed him.
But before they reached the door, she turned back.
"Eleanor.""
I looked at her.
She swallowed.
"I didn't know he was married when we first started seeing each other.""
I said nothing.
"He told me you were separated.""
I studied her face.
"Then why were you wearing my mother's necklace?""
Her lips parted.
No answer came.
She followed Adrian out.
Sophie remained by the door.
"Eleanor, please.""
I turned toward her.
"Not tonight, Sophie.""
"But I can prove I didn't know about the money.""
"Then give the evidence to the attorneys.""
She nodded.
And just as she reached for the door, Celeste's phone rang.
She answered.
Listened.
Then her expression changed.
"What do you mean the archive room was accessed?""
She looked at me.
"When?""
A pause.
"Last night?""
I stood.
Celeste ended the call.
"Someone entered Isabelle's private archive room after midnight.""
My blood ran cold.
"Who?""
"The security system was disabled using your personal access code.""
I stared at her.
"That's impossible.""
Celeste slowly turned the laptop toward me.
A photograph from the security camera appeared.
A man stood in front of my mother's locked archive cabinet.
He was wearing a dark coat.
His face was partially hidden beneath a cap.
But I recognized the watch on his wrist.
It was Adrian's.
Then Celeste enlarged the image.
The man wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was someone I had not expected to see.
May you like
Someone who had been dead for three years.
My father.
