Chapter 3 - The Signature Brandon Recognized
Brandon read the transfer instruction in the manager's office with his jaw locked tight.
"That's my signature," he said. "But I've never seen this page."
Nicole leaned against the door. "You sign hundreds of things. You probably forgot."
"It authorizes the sale of a building my mother made us promise to protect. I wouldn't forget that."
Nina recognized the property address: Harbor House, an old brick school near the waterfront where children got homework help and parents used the computer lab to apply for work. Her brother Luis had learned English there. Last month a missing grant had forced winter programs to close.
Sebastian adjusted his glasses. "Evelyn left a restricted trust for that place. Brandon can't sell it just because somebody printed a form."
"Then why does the document exist?" Nina asked.
Nobody answered.
Celeste laid out the hotel records. The two folios linked a false theft accusation to a suspicious property transfer.
"Someone wanted a theft story and a sale story to become the same story," Nina said.
Brandon looked at her with open suspicion. "And you conveniently found both."
"I found a slap," Nina replied. "The rest showed up because I didn't pretend it was my fault."
An older man near the doorway cleared his throat. He introduced himself as Owen Finch, the event photographer. "I got the argument on camera. I didn't mean to. I was taking pictures of the head table."
Nicole stepped toward him. "That material belongs to the event."
"It belongs to my company until the contract says otherwise," Owen said. "And I'm not deleting it."
Sebastian asked Celeste to preserve the corridor recordings and the reservation log. Brandon called the foundation's outside attorney and instructed the finance team to pause any property-related transactions until they could verify the authorization.
Nicole watched him dial. "You have no idea what will happen if you freeze that account."
"Then tell me," Brandon said.
For a moment she looked ready to answer. Instead, she turned on Nina.
"You worked for us six months ago. You know exactly what those files contain."
May you like
She had never told Nicole which payments she found.
"How do you know what I saw?" she asked.
