Chapter 5 - Elliot’s Name
Valentina felt the room tilt.
“Elliot is six.”
“I know,” Rachel said. “That’s exactly why this is bad.”
The guarantor page claimed Elliot Reyes-Caldwell’s custodial trust would secure the debt if Blackthorn defaulted.
His trust held the money Valentina’s father had left him.
Nathan stepped closer. “I swear to you, I never saw that page.”
Valentina looked at him until he stopped talking.
“You brought these people into my son’s trust.”
“They’re my family.”
“Not if they use his name like collateral.”
A knock sounded.
Marco opened the office door. One of the catering managers stood outside holding a small silver USB drive.
“Mrs. Reyes, the photographer said you should have this.”
“Why?”
“She left ten minutes ago. She said if anyone asks, she never gave it to me.”
Valentina inserted the drive into the office laptop.
There were dozens of photographs from the wedding setup.
One showed Gloria and a man in a gray suit inside the office that afternoon.
Another showed Nathan entering fifteen minutes later.
A third showed Serena standing in the hallway, watching.
Valentina zoomed in.
The man in gray held a notary stamp.
Rachel cursed softly through the speaker.
“Do you know him?” Valentina asked.
“I do. His name is Peter Hall. He lost his commission two years ago.”
“For fraud?”
“For falsifying acknowledgments.”
Nathan whispered, “Jesus.”
Valentina turned to him.
“You were in this room with him.”
“I came in to get Mom.”
“You stayed nineteen minutes.”
Nathan stared at the timestamp.
Then the office phone rang.
Marco answered.
His expression changed.
May you like
He covered the receiver.
“Ma’am, the bank says someone just tried to move two million dollars out of Elliot’s trust.”
