Chapter 13 - THE SECOND CONSPIRACY
Theodore Lang closed the boardroom doors.
“No one leaves.”
Adrian immediately objected.
“You do not have authority to detain anyone.”
Theodore nodded.
“You are correct.”
He placed his phone on the table.
“But perhaps you should hear me first.”
I watched him carefully.
“Were you working with Nathan?”
“No.”
“Charles?”
“Yes.”
Several directors reacted.
Theodore remained calm.
“Twenty years ago, Charles approached me.”
“For what?”
“To keep Ashford Maritime alive.”
I laughed once.
“You mean to keep his control alive.”
Theodore looked at me.
“At first, yes.”
He opened a folder.
“But five years ago I discovered something Charles never intended me to find.”
He slid a document toward me.
It contained account transfers from Switzerland.
Hundreds of millions had moved through twelve entities.
At the bottom was a beneficiary code.
EHA.
Evelyn Hartwell Ashford.
I stared at it.
“What is this?”
“The reserve your mother discovered.”
Malcolm had estimated several hundred million.
Theodore shook his head.
“It is worth nearly one point four billion.”
Nobody spoke.
Celeste whispered, “Billion?”
Theodore nodded.
“Charles spent decades trying to regain control.”
I looked at him.
“And you helped him.”
“For a time.”
“Why stop?”
Theodore leaned back.
“Because I learned what he planned to do once he recovered the money.”
Adrian frowned.
“What?”
“He intended to bankrupt Ashford International.”
The directors erupted.
Theodore raised his voice.
“He does not care about the company.”
Silence returned.
“He believes Nathan ruined the family name.”
I stared at him.
“Nathan was his tool.”
“Yes.”
“And he planned to destroy Nathan afterward.”
Theodore nodded.
Celeste looked stunned.
“So Nathan believed he was rebuilding his father’s empire.”
“Charles was using him to unlock Evelyn’s trust.”
Theodore turned toward me.
“Once that happened, Nathan became unnecessary.”
I almost laughed at the cruelty of it.
Nathan had spent years using me.
Meanwhile, his own father had been using him.
Theodore continued.
“There is something else.”
Of course there was.
“Charles does not need your signature anymore.”
My pulse changed.
“How?”
“He obtained a biometric authorization file.”
Adrian stood.
“That would require voice, facial confirmation, and access codes.”
Theodore looked at me.
“Someone recorded Evelyn.”
I thought about every dinner.
Every argument.
Every video.
Every moment Nathan encouraged me to repeat phrases.
Then I remembered our anniversary six months earlier.
Nathan had given me a new phone.
He asked me to complete an unusually long voice verification setup.
I had assumed it was for security.
My hands became cold.
Theodore checked his watch.
“If Charles has everything he needs, he will attempt the transfer today.”
Adrian immediately opened his laptop.
“When?”
Theodore looked directly at me.
“Market close.”
May you like
Four hours away.
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