Chapter 6 - The Signature He Forged
Dominic spent the afternoon making angry phone calls from the hospital parking lot.
He contacted Vale Meridian’s chief financial officer and demanded that she transfer the remaining corporate cash into a private account.
She refused.
Whitmore Capital had already notified the board that the company was under review. Any unusual transfers would be reported immediately.
Dominic then called his personal banker.
The banker informed him that two accounts had been temporarily restricted because the source of several recent deposits was being investigated.
Finally, Dominic called Natalie.
She did not answer.
After leaving the hospital, Natalie had gone directly to the luxury apartment Dominic claimed to own.
A representative from the property management company was waiting in the lobby.
“The lease is held by Meridian Strategic Consulting,” the representative explained.
“That is Dominic’s company.”
“It appears to be connected to Vale Meridian. We were instructed to preserve access records and prevent removal of company-owned property.”
Natalie stared at him.
“My clothes are upstairs.”
“You may retrieve personal belongings with an escort.”
The apartment, furniture, vehicle, and credit cards Dominic had given her were all connected to corporate funds.
Nothing belonged to him.
Nothing belonged to her.
That evening, Natalie confronted Dominic in the apartment lobby.
“You lied to me.”
Dominic lowered his voice.
“This is temporary.”
“You told me Audrey had never contributed to the company.”
“She didn’t.”
“Then why do the original operating documents contain her name?”
Dominic froze.
Natalie held up copies she had found in his briefcase.
The documents showed that Audrey had developed Vale Meridian’s first hospital implementation plan. Several procedures still used by the company had been written by her.
“You told investors you created all of this,” Natalie said.
“I improved it.”
“You also told me Audrey refused to have children until you became wealthy.”
“That isn’t relevant.”
“She gave birth to your twins last night.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“Lower your voice.”
Natalie moved away from him.
“When were you planning to tell me that the apartment was purchased with company money?”
“It was an accounting decision.”
“It was theft.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“You benefited from it.”
Natalie placed a hand over her stomach.
“You said everything was legal.”
“You knew I was married.”
“Yes, and that was wrong. But I did not agree to become part of financial fraud.”
Dominic reached for the documents.
Natalie pulled them away.
“What else are you hiding?”
He did not answer.
That was when Natalie understood the truth.
Dominic had not chosen her because he loved her more than Audrey. He had chosen her because she admired the version of him he had invented.
As long as she believed he was wealthy, powerful, and self-made, Dominic could believe it too.
Meanwhile, Mara uncovered something even more serious.
Two years earlier, Audrey had inherited a minority ownership interest in a medical software patent from one of her university projects. Dominic had persuaded her to allow Vale Meridian to use the technology without charging licensing fees.
Months later, he created a document transferring Audrey’s rights permanently to the company.
The signature was false.
“That patent supports one of Vale Meridian’s most profitable systems,” Mara explained.
Audrey stared at the forged document.
“He stole my work.”
“He tried to.”
“What happens now?”
“You can terminate the company’s right to use it.”
Silas watched her carefully.
Again, Audrey considered the employees.
“I won’t terminate it. I’ll license it properly under independent management.”
Mara smiled.
“That means Dominic can no longer pretend you were merely standing beside his empire.”
Audrey looked through the glass toward her sleeping twins.
“He never understood. I wasn’t standing beside it.”
May you like
Her voice became steady.
“I helped build it.”
