Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Pantry
Richard and Celia left before dessert. Vanessa waited until their taillights disappeared before turning on me.
“You destroyed the biggest opportunity Daniel has ever had.”
“I told a man the truth about property you tried to sell him.”
“He wasn't buying it. He was investing.”
“Against assets that don't belong to Daniel.”
“Legal technicalities!”
Daniel stood between us, red-faced. “Stop. Both of you.”
“Your wife spat in my face, you lied about my signature, and you're asking both of us to stop?”
Vanessa grabbed the folder of business projections and hurled it across the dining room. Loose pages skated over the polished floor. One sheet landed by my shoes: a proposed line of credit for $3.6 million, secured by Hartwell properties.
Daniel stepped forward. “Give that back.”
I folded it into my purse. “I want copies of every agreement.”
“You can't just take confidential files,” Vanessa snapped.
“Files that use my property as collateral aren't strangers to me.”
On my way out, I passed the pantry where I had stood that afternoon chopping rosemary. My grandmother's pastry cutter remained on the shelf. Outside, I sat in my old blue sedan with the doors locked. My hands shook so badly I missed the ignition twice. I called Mara Chen, the attorney who had handled Thomas's estate and reviewed our company agreements for twelve years.
She answered on the third ring. “Ellie? What's wrong?”
“Someone copied my signature onto a transfer of Hartwell Holdings.”
“Don't go home yet,” Mara said. “Drive to my office. I'll meet you there.”
“Why?”
“Because your company's registered-agent address just received an electronic notice.”
May you like
She swallowed.
“Someone filed to remove you as its manager this afternoon.”
