Chapter 2 - The First Missing Million
The first irregularity appeared on a rainy Tuesday morning.
Marissa was reviewing quarterly development expenses when she noticed a payment of nine hundred eighty thousand dollars to Northbridge Advisory.
The company had no active contract with Northbridge.
She called Anthony.
He arrived ten minutes later carrying two coffees.
“You look worried,” he said.
“What is Northbridge Advisory?”
He placed the coffee beside her computer.
“A regional consulting group. We used them for preliminary research.”
“On which project?”
“The Hudson redevelopment.”
Marissa opened the project file.
“There is no Northbridge contract here.”
Anthony leaned over her shoulder.
“It might have been filed under strategic planning.”
“And why did they receive almost a million dollars?”
“The Hudson deal is worth four hundred million. Preliminary work is expensive.”
Marissa turned toward him.
“Did you approve it?”
“I recommended it. Finance approved it.”
Marissa sent a message to the chief financial officer, asking for the authorization records.
Anthony rested a hand on her chair.
“You’re exhausted.”
“I’m doing my job.”
“You’ve been sleeping four hours a night.”
“That has nothing to do with a missing contract.”
“It has everything to do with why you’re treating an ordinary payment like a conspiracy.”
The word embarrassed her.
Conspiracy.
She heard how unreasonable it sounded.
Marissa closed the file.
“Find the contract for me.”
“Of course.”
He kissed the top of her head and took the second coffee with him.
Three hours later, a contract appeared in the system.
It was properly formatted, digitally signed, and dated six weeks before the payment.
Marissa examined it twice.
Nothing seemed wrong.
She told herself Anthony had been right.
That evening, Eleanor arrived at the penthouse with bags from three luxury boutiques.
She placed them on the sofa and lifted Julian into her arms.
“My little prince,” she said. “One day, all this will be yours.”
Marissa glanced at the bags.
“Were those household purchases?”
Eleanor smiled.
“Your card worked, so I assumed they were approved.”
“The card is for Julian and the apartment.”
“I bought clothes for family events.”
“For yourself.”
“I represent this family too.”
Anthony entered the living room and immediately sensed the tension.
“Mother, maybe take the bags upstairs.”
Eleanor’s expression hardened.
“I will not be treated like a criminal over a few dresses.”
“No one called you a criminal,” Marissa said.
“But you were thinking it.”
After Eleanor left, Anthony poured himself a drink.
“Could you be kinder to her?”
Marissa stared at him.
“She spent twenty-three thousand dollars on clothes.”
“It’s not much to us.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“Then what is the point?”
“She did not ask.”
Anthony took a slow drink.
“You control every dollar in this family. Do you understand how that feels?”
Marissa was too stunned to answer immediately.
“I control the company because it is my responsibility.”
“And at home?”
“We have joint personal accounts.”
“Accounts you monitor.”
“I review our finances.”
“You review everyone.”
His words stayed with her long after he went to bed.
The next morning, she called the chief financial officer and canceled her request for further review of Northbridge Advisory.
She did not want to become the suspicious, controlling woman Anthony claimed she was becoming.
May you like
Two months later, Northbridge received another payment.
This time, it was for one million four hundred thousand dollars.
