Chapter 4 - THE MONEY SHE NEVER HAD

Ava left the gala in jeans, Lucian’s jacket over one arm, ignoring twelve calls from Damian.

At 11:42, she called the number Lucian had given her.

A woman answered.

“Vale Meridian investigations.”

Ava almost hung up.

Instead she said, “This is Ava Knox.”

Forty minutes later, she sat with Lucian and forensic accountant Naomi Chen.

Naomi slid over records for an LLC called Knox Consulting.

“I don’t own a company,” Ava said.

“According to the state, you do.”

Her name, former address and Social Security number were all there beside Damian’s email.

Naomi continued.

The LLC had received consulting payments from companies connected to Sterling North.

Then it moved into an account controlled by Damian.

“He used my identity?”

“Potentially.”

“Why are you investigating Sterling North?”

Lucian leaned back.

“Because they tried to acquire one of my companies using information they should not have possessed.”

“And Damian?”

“Worked on the deal.”

Damian had handled their taxes, passwords and copies of her ID. Ava had called that trust. Now it looked like opportunity.

Naomi turned a page.

“There’s another issue.”

Ava’s stomach sank.

“What?”

“Knox Consulting owes taxes.”

“How much?”

“Eighty-seven thousand dollars.”

“I make fifty-two thousand a year,” Ava whispered.

Lucian’s expression hardened.

“We will get this corrected.”

“We?”

He paused.

Ava looked at him.

“You don’t know me.”

“No.”

“Then stop talking like this is your problem.”

Lucian met her eyes.

“Damian made it my problem when he used your name to help steal from my company.”

Naomi’s phone buzzed.

She read the message.

Then looked at Ava.

“Someone just accessed the Knox Consulting account.”

“Who?”

Naomi turned the laptop.

The login location was the Astor Grand Hotel.

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Damian was still at the gala.

And he was trying to empty the account before Ava could reach it.