Chapter 2 - A FACE ON EVERY PHONEBy midnight, the internet had decided Grace was a thief.
A short video showed her pushing Victoria away. It did not show Victoria pouring the wine or raising her hand. The caption called Grace an "ungrateful employee" who had threatened a generous donor.
"Don't open the comments," said Lana Cho, Adrián's executive assistant.
"My mother already did," Grace answered. "She's calling every five minutes."
They sat in a small office behind the ballroom. On the desk lay a payment order with Adrián's signature. He had signed hundreds of grants; this one matched his style unnervingly well.
Adrián stood at the window. "Did you access my signature file?"
Grace turned sharply. "You're asking me that now?"
"I have to ask everyone. Especially myself."
He sounded ashamed, which did not excuse the question. Grace told him she had never possessed the signing key. Payment approvals required his hardware token and a second officer's confirmation. She could prepare invoices but could not release a dollar.
"Then someone had both," Lana said.
Outside, Victoria gave a television reporter a tearful statement about workplace violence. She was very good at crying without ruining her makeup.
Omar Reed, the hotel's security chief, entered with a folder. "Someone requested deletion of cameras seven and nine. The request came from Development's office forty minutes before the gala."
"Preserve everything," Adrián said.
"Already copied. But camera seven went dark for eighty-six seconds during the confrontation."
Grace rubbed her temples. "Victoria knew where I would stand."
Lana's phone rang. She listened, then passed it to Adrián. Their bank had received instructions to move the remaining restricted funds into a replacement account at eight the next morning.
"Who authorized that?" he asked.
Lana checked the message on her laptop. The request carried Grace's employee identification and a timestamp of 11:43 p.m.
Grace looked up at the clock. It was only 11:17.
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