Chapter 9 - The Account Richard Forgot
Richard believed the worst punishment would be losing the yacht.
He was wrong.
During the following week, investigators examined the Personal Bail account.
They discovered that Richard had used company money to pay the legal expenses of executives who helped hide his transactions. He had also paid a former accountant to leave the country after she threatened to expose him.
The accountant had never left.
She had gone into protective custody and provided years of records.
Richard was arrested at a private airport while attempting to board a chartered plane. His passport, cash, and company laptop were found in his luggage.
Victoria avoided criminal charges related to the fall because the deck footage showed that she had grabbed Emily during the struggle but had not deliberately pushed her overboard.
However, the footage also proved she had lied to officers.
More importantly, her signatures appeared on twelve fraudulent transfers.
Her lawyers negotiated a settlement. She surrendered her voting rights, returned the estate, and agreed to repay the company from her remaining personal assets.
Emily met her in an empty conference room after the agreement was signed.
Victoria looked smaller without the white suits, jewelry, and assistants.
“You took everything from me,” she said.
Emily placed the rejected envelope of ten thousand dollars on the table.
“No. You traded everything for Richard’s promises.”
“You could have warned me.”
“I did. At the café, I asked whether you were sure about the trust.”
Victoria looked away.
“You wanted me to beg.”
“I wanted you to stop treating people as if they were invisible.”
Victoria touched the envelope but did not open it.
“What happens to me now?”
“You live with what remains. You work. You rebuild without using our grandfather’s name as a weapon.”
Victoria gave a bitter laugh.
“You think working in a café made you better than me?”
“No.”
May you like
Emily stood.
“But it taught me how people behave when they believe I can do nothing for them.”
