Chapter 4 - The Account That Disappeared
Elena discovered the missing money at nine fourteen the following morning.
She was standing in the villa’s kitchen while Julian spoke to his accountant in the study.
For the first time in weeks, he had left his laptop open.
Elena had only intended to check whether Lily’s school trip fee had been paid. Instead, she found an account summary connected to the Westbrook family trust.
The balance displayed zero.
Elena refreshed the page.
Nothing changed.
The trust had once contained more than forty million dollars in assets intended for Elena and Lily. Karen had designed it so no spouse could control the funds.
Yet beside the transfer history was Julian’s authorization.
Elena photographed the screen.
Then she opened the document attached to the transaction.
The authorization carried her digital signature.
It also stated that Elena had voluntarily surrendered control because of emotional instability.
Her hands began to shake.
A sound came from the hallway.
Elena closed the laptop and stepped away.
Julian entered.
“What are you doing?”
“Making coffee.”
Julian looked at the untouched machine.
Elena forced herself to press a button.
The machine began grinding beans.
Julian walked toward the laptop.
“Did you touch this?”
“No.”
He checked the screen.
Elena watched him examine the browser history.
The coffee poured into a cup and overflowed onto the counter.
“You should be more careful,” Julian said.
Elena grabbed a towel.
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“You never do.”
He closed the laptop.
“You have an appointment today.”
“What appointment?”
“Doctor Halden is coming at two.”
Elena stopped wiping the counter.
“I don’t need a doctor.”
“He disagrees.”
“I haven’t spoken to him.”
“I have.”
Julian picked up the laptop.
“You’ve been confused lately.”
“I know exactly what I saw.”
He turned toward her.
“What did you see?”
Elena met his eyes.
For months she had survived by pretending not to understand. She had allowed Julian to believe that fear had made her helpless.
Now she understood that helplessness was exactly what he needed.
“Nothing,” she said.
Julian studied her.
Then he smiled.
“That’s what I thought.”
After he left, Elena went upstairs and locked herself inside Lily’s bathroom. She sent the photographs to a number Margaret had written on the back of an old birthday card.
The response came one minute later.
Do not confront him. Karen lands today.
Elena stared at the message.
Today.
She typed another question.
Can she remove him from the company?
Margaret replied.
If the original documents still exist.
Elena looked toward the bathroom door.
She knew where Karen stored originals.
Years earlier, Karen had shown her a hidden safe beneath the floor of the villa’s library.
The safe required a fingerprint and a twelve-digit code.
Elena knew neither.
However, she knew Karen had once told Lily that every Westbrook secret began with a birthday.
At noon, Lily returned from school.
Elena met her at the entrance.
“Did you see Margaret?”
Lily nodded.
“Grandma is coming.”
Elena hugged her.
Behind them, Julian appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Coming where?”
Elena released Lily.
“My mother is returning from Switzerland.”
Julian descended slowly.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Her doctor said she was not cleared to travel.”
“Which doctor?”
Julian’s eyes narrowed.
Lily held her stuffed rabbit against her chest.
Julian noticed.
He walked toward her.
“Did you take that rabbit to the museum?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
Lily stepped back.
“It’s mine.”
Julian reached for it.
Elena moved between them.
“Leave her alone.”
Julian looked at his wife.
Something dangerous entered his expression.
“I asked for the toy.”
“And she said no.”
Julian’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
The name displayed was Daniel.
Julian answered and walked toward the study.
Before closing the door, he looked back at Lily’s rabbit.
Elena waited until he disappeared.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Lily removed the recorder.
“There’s something else.”
She pressed play.
The recording contained Julian’s voice from the previous evening.
“The trust is empty. By the time Karen sees the statements, everything will belong to Graybridge.”
Daniel answered.
“And Elena?”
“Doctor Halden will certify her by tomorrow.”
Lily stopped the recording.
“What does certify mean?”
Elena covered her mouth.
May you like
It meant Julian was not only stealing the company.
He was preparing to have her declared incapable of protecting Lily.
