Chapter 15 - The Signature That Wasn't Hers
The recording changed everything, but it also raised a question Elena could barely bring herself to ask. Had her father known how far the scheme had gone? Had he tried to stop it and failed, or had he been pressured into silence?
Claire arranged for the audio to be authenticated and sent a copy to the district attorney. The forensic analyst traced the fake purchase agreement to a workstation assigned to Victoria's office. The supposed witness signature belonged to a board member who had died two years earlier. The notary stamp came from a notary whose license had been suspended.
It was a careful fraud, but not a perfect one.
“Victoria built a story around your father's illness,” Claire explained. “She wants people to believe he approved the sale, and that you are trying to reverse it because you changed your mind. The records prove the opposite.”
“Then why hasn't the board removed her?”
“Because some of them are involved, and the others are afraid. They think the safest choice is to wait.”
Claire nodded. “Then we need to make the truth impossible to ignore.” That afternoon, a process server arrived with a notice from Sloane Urban's attorneys. The company was seeking an emergency injunction to prevent Elena from transferring assets or altering hotel operations while its purchase claim was reviewed. The hearing was set for Monday morning.
“You should settle,” she said. “Give Sloane a clean exit, and you can walk away with enough money to start over.”
Victoria's smile disappeared. “You think a recording will save you? I have emails showing you abandoned your father and ignored the hotel for eight years. The board will say you don't care about this place. The press will believe them.”
May you like
Then she remembered Nora's corrected paycheck, Jamie's frightened face, and the shelter beds that had gone empty. Victoria leaned closer. “Then I will make sure the entire city watches you lose.”
She left a single invitation on the desk. The Harbor House gala. Elena's name was printed beside the words: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.
