Chapter 6 - the other woman)
Victoria met Camille Bennett two days later.
Not intentionally.
Daniel created the opportunity himself.
He told Victoria he had an investor lunch at the Harbor Club.
Rebecca had already obtained financial surveillance evidence showing Daniel regularly used company funds at a boutique hotel across the street.
Victoria did not follow him.
She did not need to.
Camille contacted her.
The message arrived from an unknown number.
We need to talk about Daniel.
Victoria stared at it for thirty seconds before responding.
Where?
A coffee shop downtown.
Public.
Busy.
Camille arrived wearing a beige coat and dark glasses.
She was twenty-seven.
Blonde.
Polished.
Nervous.
Victoria recognized her from Carter Wellness marketing photographs.
Director of Brand Partnerships.
Camille sat.
Her eyes immediately moved toward Victoria's shaved head.
"I heard about that."
"From Daniel?"
"He said you did it during a breakdown."
Victoria smiled once.
"Of course he did."
Camille looked ashamed.
Victoria asked, "How long?"
"Seven months."
The answer hurt even though Victoria expected it.
"Did you know he was married?"
"Yes."
"Then why are we talking?"
Camille looked down.
"Because I thought he was leaving you."
Victoria said nothing.
"He told me the marriage was over. That you were living separately inside the house."
"We shared a bed until three nights ago."
Camille closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Victoria did not comfort her.
Camille continued.
"He said his mother wanted to wait until after a business deal before he filed."
"What deal?"
"I don't know."
"Try."
Camille hesitated.
"He said something happens in October."
Victoria's birthday.
Her twenty-fifth birthday.
"When in October?"
"First week."
Victoria leaned back.
"What else?"
Camille looked around.
"Daniel is scared."
"Of me?"
"Of his mother."
That surprised Victoria.
"Why?"
"He found something."
"What?"
"I don't know. A document, maybe. About ownership."
Victoria remained still.
Camille said, "Three weeks ago he got drunk and said his whole company could disappear if one person changed their mind."
Victoria's pulse quickened.
Daniel knew more about Hale Meridian than she realized.
"Did he say whose mind?"
"No."
"Did he say my name?"
Camille nodded.
Victoria looked toward the window.
Interesting.
Daniel had known Victoria mattered financially.
Maybe not how.
But enough to fear October.
"Why tell me this now?"
Camille's mouth tightened.
"Because yesterday he asked me to sign something."
"What?"
"A consulting agreement dated six months ago."
"Backdated?"
"Yes."
Victoria looked at her.
"How much?"
"Two hundred thousand dollars."
"Did you receive that money?"
"No."
"Did you sign?"
"No."
Camille opened her bag.
She removed a copy.
Victoria read it.
Carter Wellness would claim it paid Camille's private consulting entity for strategy work.
The payment had actually gone elsewhere.
"Do you know where the two hundred thousand went?"
Camille nodded slowly.
"Daniel said his mom moved it."
Victoria took a breath.
"Camille, you need a lawyer."
"I know."
"And you need to stop talking to Daniel."
Tears appeared in Camille's eyes.
"Do you hate me?"
Victoria looked at her.
Part of her wanted to.
It would be easy.
But Camille had not promised Victoria anything.
Daniel had.
"I don't know you well enough to hate you."
Camille looked down.
Victoria continued.
"But you knew he was married."
"I know."
"Don't turn yourself into the victim of that choice."
Camille nodded.
"You're right."
Victoria slid the contract back.
"Give this to your lawyer."
Camille hesitated.
"I made a copy for you."
Victoria shook her head.
"Give it to federal investigators."
Camille stared.
"Federal?"
Victoria stood.
"You wanted to know why Daniel is scared."
She put on her coat.
"Now you do."
By evening, Camille had retained counsel and contacted Rebecca.
Daniel noticed something was wrong.
At dinner he barely spoke.
Eleanor was worse.
She received two phone calls and left the table to answer them.
Victoria watched.
The investigation was beginning to squeeze the edges.
Not enough for Eleanor to identify it.
Enough for her to feel pressure.
After dinner, Daniel entered the bedroom.
Victoria was reading.
"Did you talk to Camille today?"
Victoria turned a page.
"Who?"
Daniel studied her.
Victoria looked up.
"Should I know a Camille?"
He paused.
Then laughed.
"No."
Victoria returned to the book.
Daniel stood there another moment.
"You're acting weird."
"So are you."
"How?"
"You asked whether I met a woman I've never heard of."
Daniel's face tightened.
"Forget it."
He entered the bathroom.
Victoria waited.
His phone was on the nightstand.
She did not touch it.
She did not need more proof of infidelity.
She needed evidence of fraud.
At midnight, Daniel's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Mom?"
Victoria kept her breathing even.
Daniel walked into the hallway.
His voice became a whisper.
"What do you mean he called?"
Pause.
"No."
Pause.
"I didn't tell anyone."
Victoria opened her eyes.
Daniel continued.
"Then how does Samuel Bishop know about the restructuring?"
Victoria went still.
Samuel.
Eleanor said something Victoria could not hear.
Daniel answered.
"She's asleep."
Another pause.
"I said she's asleep."
Victoria closed her eyes again as Daniel returned.
He stood beside the bed.
Watching her.
Victoria felt it.
Long seconds passed.
Then he moved away.
The bathroom door closed.
Victoria silently reached for her phone beneath the pillow.
She messaged Samuel.
They know you asked about restructuring.
Samuel replied.
Understood.
Then another message appeared.
From Rebecca.
We found the reason Eleanor is moving money before October.
Victoria typed.
What?
Rebecca responded.
The Carter debt converts to Hale-controlled equity automatically on October 1 if your trust interest vests.
Victoria stared.
Then another message.
Even without fraud.
Victoria's heartbeat accelerated.
The original financing agreement contained two triggers.
The fraud trigger.
And a maturity provision.
On Victoria's twenty-fifth birthday, Hale Meridian could demand repayment or convert.
Eleanor was not simply hiding old crimes.
She was racing a deadline.
Victoria typed.
How much do they owe?
The response came.
$31.4 million.
Victoria stared at Daniel sleeping beside her.
Carter Wellness.
The mansion.
The hotel.
The foundation offices.
The lifestyle.
All of it balanced on thirty-one million dollars they did not have.
And in twenty-three days, Victoria would legally control the decision that determined whether they kept any of it.
The next morning, Daniel brought her coffee in bed.
For the first time in months.
He smiled.
"I've been thinking."
Victoria accepted the cup.
"About?"
"Us."
She nearly laughed.
Daniel sat beside her.
"We've had a rough year."
"Yes."
"But I love you."
Victoria looked at him.
He touched her hand.
"I want to fix things."
"Why now?"
His smile weakened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means why this morning?"
Daniel withdrew his hand.
"Can't I try?"
"You can."
He relaxed again.
Victoria sipped the coffee.
Daniel watched her carefully.
Then said, "Your birthday is coming up."
There it was.
Victoria lowered the cup.
"Yes."
"Twenty-five."
"That's usually how birthdays work."
Daniel laughed.
A little too loudly.
"Your grandmother's trust changes then, right?"
Victoria looked straight at him.
Daniel's smile froze.
Victoria answered softly.
"A few things change."
"Like what?"
She waited just long enough to make him uncomfortable.
Then smiled.
"Nothing you need to worry about."
It was exactly what Eleanor had told him in the study.
Daniel's face went pale.
May you like
Victoria knew immediately.
He remembered too.
