Chapter 4 - The Account Beneath the Account
After the final guest left, Marissa locked herself in her office.
Anthony did not follow.
He stayed with Eleanor, allowing her cries to echo through the penthouse.
Marissa opened the financial system and searched for Northbridge Advisory.
Seven payments appeared.
The total was more than eight million dollars.
She searched the company registry.
Northbridge had been created eighteen months earlier in Delaware. Its listed address belonged to a corporate registration service. Its managing director was a man named Paul Renner.
Marissa recognized the name.
Paul had been Anthony’s roommate at business school.
She called Rebecca Shaw, the outside attorney who had worked with Marissa’s father for more than twenty years.
Rebecca answered on the second ring.
“Is Julian all right?”
“Yes.”
“Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.”
Marissa sent her the records.
Rebecca was silent for almost a minute.
“Do not confront Anthony tonight.”
“He knows I canceled the cards.”
“I mean about Northbridge.”
“Can you investigate without alerting him?”
“Yes, but I need authorization.”
“You have it.”
Rebecca’s voice softened.
“Marissa, prepare yourself for this to be worse than a few unauthorized payments.”
Marissa looked through the glass wall of her office.
Anthony stood in the kitchen with Eleanor. They were speaking too quietly for her to hear.
Eleanor noticed Marissa watching and whispered something.
Anthony looked toward the office.
Then he closed the kitchen door.
“I’m prepared,” Marissa said.
She was not.
The next morning, Rebecca’s forensic team found a second layer.
Northbridge had transferred money to three additional companies. One purchased luxury properties. Another paid personal expenses. The third had made repeated transfers into a trust.
The trust beneficiary was hidden.
Rebecca needed more time.
Marissa spent the day behaving normally.
She took Julian to preschool, attended two meetings, and approved a construction budget. Anthony arrived at the office shortly after noon.
“Are we going to discuss last night?”
“We can discuss it at home.”
“I apologized to several investors for your behavior.”
Marissa looked up.
“My behavior?”
“You accused your husband of stealing in front of our partners.”
“I asked about a villa.”
“You implied I misused company funds.”
“Did you?”
Anthony’s eyes narrowed.
“There it is again.”
“What?”
“The suspicion. The hostility.”
Marissa leaned back.
“Answer the question.”
He walked to the door, closed it, and lowered his voice.
“You inherited a kingdom and convinced yourself you built it.”
Marissa stared at him.
Anthony continued.
“Your father handed you every advantage. I made people respect you.”
“You believe that?”
“I know it.”
“You do not have the authority to approve company transfers.”
“I have whatever authority is necessary to protect this family.”
Marissa stood.
“Leave my office.”
His expression became almost amused.
“You would not survive a month without me.”
The door closed behind him.
Marissa waited until her hands stopped trembling before calling building security.
She removed Anthony’s access to the executive floor.
Then she contacted the board.
By sunset, five directors had agreed to attend an emergency video meeting the following morning. Three major investors requested access after hearing rumors about the reception.
Rebecca advised Marissa not to return to the penthouse while Anthony and Eleanor were there.
Marissa refused.
“My son’s things are there.”
“Security can retrieve them.”
“I will not be driven out of my own home.”
When Marissa arrived, Anthony’s clothes were gone.
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Eleanor’s guest room was empty.
On the dining table, they had left Julian’s framed photograph facedown.
