Chapter 5 - ANDREW’S LAST ALLYAndrew still had one ally on the board.
Charles Bennett.
Charles had worked beside Andrew’s father for thirty years.
He defended Andrew during the emergency meeting and called my intervention a family dispute.
Two days after the suspension, Charles requested a private meeting.
I agreed.
Not because I trusted him.
Because frightened men often revealed more than confident ones.
He arrived at Escalante headquarters carrying a sealed folder.
“I am not here to threaten you,” he said.
“Then why are you here?”
“To warn you.”
“About Andrew?”
“About the company.”
He placed the folder before me.
Inside were records from Whitmore Global’s international division.
Several construction contracts had been inflated.
Payments moved through offshore companies.
Some signatures appeared to be mine.
“They are forged,” I said.
“I know.”
“Who authorized them?”
Charles hesitated.
“Andrew.”
My chest tightened.
“He used my name?”
“He believed your private office approved the transfers.”
“Did you tell him otherwise?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret told us you had agreed.”
Margaret again.
But the dates created a new problem.
The transfers began before Brenda entered our lives.
This scheme had nothing to do with the divorce plan.
It was an older crime.
“How much?” I asked.
“Nearly eighty million dollars.”
“Where did it go?”
“Some covered company losses.”
“And the rest?”
Charles looked at the table.
“Private accounts.”
“Andrew’s?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
He pushed another document toward me.
It showed an account in Switzerland.
The beneficiary was listed as A.W. Holdings.
Andrew Whitmore.
My father entered quietly.
Charles stood.
Alejandro gestured for him to sit.
“Why reveal this now?” my father asked.
Charles swallowed.
“Because Andrew contacted me last night.”
“What did he want?”
“He asked me to delete the original ledgers.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Charles looked toward me.
“Because Mariana protected the employees when the credit lines were frozen.”
I waited.
He continued.
“Andrew wanted to shut the company down and blame her.”
That did not surprise me.
“What exactly did he say?”
Charles removed his phone.
The recording began.
Andrew’s voice filled the room.
If Mariana wants the empire, give her the ashes.
Stop payroll.
Cancel shipments.
Let the employees panic.
When the stock collapses, everyone will blame her.
My father’s jaw tightened.
Andrew was willing to destroy thousands of livelihoods to hurt me.
Charles stopped the recording.
“He plans to call an investor meeting.”
“He is suspended.”
“He still owns twelve percent and controls several family proxies.”
“Not enough.”
“He may have another investor.”
“Who?”
Charles looked frightened.
“Victor Kane.”
The name changed everything.
Victor Kane led Kane Meridian, my father’s greatest competitor.
He had tried to acquire Whitmore Global three years earlier.
I blocked the deal.
If Andrew sold his shares and internal information to Kane, the company could face a hostile takeover.
“When are they meeting?” I asked.
“Tonight.”
“Where?”
“The Whitmore Club.”
My father looked at Gabriel.
“Prepare an injunction.”
I stood.
“No.”
Everyone turned toward me.
“Let the meeting happen.”
My father frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Victor will not come only for Andrew’s shares.”
“What else does he want?”
“The Escalante financing network.”
Andrew had lived beside me for four years.
He had seen documents.
He had overheard calls.
He knew enough to be dangerous.
Not enough to succeed.
But enough to sell the illusion.
“We record the meeting,” I said.
Gabriel shook his head.
“We need legal authorization.”
“Charles can attend.”
All eyes moved toward him.
Charles looked pale.
“You want me to betray Andrew?”
“No.”
I slid the phone back toward him.
“He already betrayed you.”
That evening, Charles entered the Whitmore Club wearing a concealed recording device.
Victor Kane arrived twenty minutes later.
Andrew offered him board information, client lists, and access to confidential contracts.
In exchange, Victor promised money and revenge.
Then Andrew said something none of us expected.
“My wife’s trust has a weakness.”
Victor leaned forward.
“What weakness?”
“Her father placed the controlling shares in her name before our marriage.”
“That is not a weakness.”
“It is if I can prove she used marital funds to maintain them.”
My attorney whispered beside me.
“He is planning a fraudulent claim.”
Andrew continued.
“I need one document changed.”
Victor smiled.
“That can be arranged.”
The recording gave us enough.
But before Charles could leave, Andrew lowered his voice.
“And there is another problem.”
“What problem?” Victor asked.
“The emerald necklace.”
“What about it?”
“Brenda is going to talk.”
May you like
Victor’s answer was cold.
“Then make sure she cannot.”
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