Chapter 2 - THE BLUE STAMP
Cesare caught Ethan by the back of his jacket before he reached the hallway.
"Don't," Ethan snapped.
"Don't what? Ask why company documents are in your trash?"
"It was scrap paper."
"Then why are you running?"
Ethan twisted free and shoved through the door. Cesare started after him, but Elsie grabbed his hand.
"Grandpa, please don't leave me."
That stopped him.
He looked down at her. Seven years old. Red eyes. One cardigan button missing where Vanessa had pulled too hard. She was trying to be brave because every adult in the room had failed her.
Cesare knelt.
"I'm not leaving you. Not for anything."
Vanessa laughed bitterly. "What a performance."
Cesare stood. "You have ten seconds to get out of this building before I call security."
Julian lowered his voice. "Dad, she's my guest."
"Elsie is your daughter. Try remembering the difference."
That landed. Julian flinched.
Elsie looked away.
Cesare pulled out his phone and called Marta Ruiz, chief financial officer of Bellini Private Holdings.
"Marta, I need you to freeze all outgoing payments over twenty-five thousand dollars. Immediately."
Julian's head snapped up. "Why?"
"Because this stamp hasn't been used in three years."
Marta answered through the speaker. "Cesare, the old blue authorization stamp was retired after the audit-control upgrade. Only two physical stamps were ever made. One is in the legal archive. The other was destroyed."
Cesare held up Elsie's flower.
"Apparently not."
Vanessa's expression changed for half a second. Then it was gone.
Cesare saw it.
"Marta, check every payment approved under legacy authorization codes for the last eighteen months."
"That could be hundreds of entries."
"Start with vendors connected to Ethan Cole."
Vanessa stepped forward. "You can't accuse my brother because of a child's craft project."
"I'm not accusing him," Cesare said. "I'm following the fear on his face."
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A security guard appeared. "Mr. Bellini, the camera outside finance went offline twelve minutes ago."
Then the fire alarm began to scream.
