Chapter 12 - THE REAL OWNER OF L.M. HOLDINGS
Howard helped Loretta out of the pond.
Someone placed a white tablecloth around her shoulders. Water dripped onto the stone terrace as security officers closed the estate gates.
The guests remained where they were.
Naomi arrived with two financial investigators and Dr. Keene.
Franklin Vale did not look surprised.
Brittany did.
“You brought investigators to my wedding?” she demanded.
Howard faced her.
“You brought a forged deed.”
Franklin stepped forward.
“There is no need for public drama.”
Howard laughed.
“You arranged a $2.5 million theft in front of two hundred witnesses.”
“The apartment was transferred through a legitimate corporate claim.”
“Using my wife’s forged signature.”
Franklin looked toward Loretta.
“That signature predates your marriage.”
Naomi opened the folder Elena had delivered.
“The signature belongs to Loretta Marie Vale. Who is she?”
Franklin said nothing.
Alexander appeared near the musicians.
Brittany stared at him.
“What are you doing here?”
“Finishing the plan.”
“You were supposed to stay at the recording office.”
“I did.”
Naomi looked at him.
“You replaced the monitored document.”
“Yes.”
Howard stepped toward him.
“You completed the transfer?”
“I allowed it to be recorded.”
“Why?”
“So Franklin could no longer pretend he had no involvement.”
Alexander removed his phone and played an audio recording.
Franklin’s voice came through clearly.
Once the apartment is in L.M. Holdings, file the Hawthorne claim and release the financing package. Howard will settle before he allows his company accounts to be frozen.
Franklin’s expression remained calm.
“A recording without context proves nothing.”
“It proves intent,” Naomi said.
Brittany turned on Alexander.
“You betrayed us.”
“You promised me evidence about my father.”
“And you would have received it.”
“No. You planned to remove me as director the moment the loan cleared.”
Austin stared between them.
“Director?”
Alexander looked at him.
“You never controlled L.M. Holdings.”
Austin turned toward Brittany.
“You said the company belonged to us.”
“It would have.”
“When?”
“After everything was settled.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you need to trust me.”
Austin laughed bitterly.
“That is what you told me before every document.”
Franklin moved toward his daughter.
“Say nothing else.”
Brittany ignored him.
She looked at Austin.
“This was for our future.”
“You put an $8 million loan against my apartment.”
“It wasn’t your apartment yet.”
The cruelty of the answer silenced him.
Howard looked at his son.
“Now you understand.”
Austin lowered his eyes.
One of the investigators approached Franklin and informed him that the financing application had been frozen pending a fraud review.
The apartment could not be sold or used as collateral.
Franklin smiled faintly.
“You are all focused on the wrong document.”
Naomi frowned.
“What document?”
“The deed does not create ownership. It recognizes ownership that already existed.”
He gestured toward the old L.M. Holdings records.
“The apartment was purchased on land connected to a development company that Howard built using assets taken from the original Hawthorne project.”
“That is false,” Howard said.
“Then prove it in court.”
Naomi lifted the old agreement.
“This contract carries a forged signature.”
Franklin looked at Loretta.
“Ask her.”
Everyone turned toward Loretta.
She tightened the tablecloth around her shoulders.
“I had never seen it before the bank opened Box 417.”
“I’m not talking about that signature.”
Franklin removed a folded page from inside his jacket.
It was an original stock certificate for L.M. Holdings.
The certificate named Loretta Marie Vale as the majority owner.
Below the name was a photograph attached for identity verification.
Franklin handed it to Naomi.
Loretta looked over her shoulder.
The woman in the photograph had Loretta’s eyes.
Her nose.
Her smile.
She appeared to be approximately twenty-five years old.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten name.
May you like
Laura Anne Mercer.
Loretta’s mother.
