Chapter 5 - The Paralegal
Her name was Jenna Cole.
She had worked for Nolan Pierce for seven years.
Vincent found her behind Alexander’s Range Rover with a cut across her forehead and a flash drive taped beneath her blouse.
“I came to warn him,” she said.
Alexander crouched beside her.
“Warn me about what?”
“Nolan knows Vanessa failed.”
“Failed at what?”
Jenna looked toward Noah’s room.
“Removing the beneficiary.”
My stomach turned.
Alexander’s voice dropped. “Say that again.”
“The trust. Claire’s trust. Noah controls it when he turns twenty-five. Until then, you’re trustee. But the amendment Nolan wrote creates a contingency if Noah dies before five.”
“Who gets control?”
Jenna shut her eyes.
“A private foundation.”
“Which foundation?”
“The Whitmore Family Legacy Foundation.”
Alexander gave a bitter laugh. “I don’t have a foundation.”
“You do on paper.”
Vincent handed him a laptop.
The foundation had been created eight months before Claire died.
Its directors were Nolan Pierce, Vanessa Sterling, and one anonymous corporate representative hidden behind an LLC.
Alexander’s hand tightened around the screen.
“Who owns the LLC?”
Jenna looked terrified.
“That’s why I came.”
She pulled the flash drive free.
“Nolan keeps offline backups because he doesn’t trust Vanessa.”
We opened the drive.
There were scanned signatures, trust drafts, private emails, and surveillance photos.
One folder was labeled C.W. - FINAL.
Alexander opened it.
The first image showed Claire leaving Nolan’s office the afternoon she died.
The second showed a black sedan following her home.
The third showed the driver.
Alexander stopped breathing.
“Rachel.”
I leaned closer.
May you like
The driver was Vincent Cole.
Our head of security.
