Chapter 6: The Dead Man's Signature
Camille stared at the document.
Her grandfather had been dead for eleven years.
She remembered his funeral. She remembered the black umbrellas, the white roses, and her father's hand resting on her shoulder as they stood beside the grave.
She remembered the speech Richard had delivered.
My father built this company with honesty, courage, and an unwavering belief that family comes first.
Now his signature appeared on a document connected to a financial arrangement that could destroy everything.
"Dad," Camille whispered.
"What does this mean?""
Richard stood with his back to her.
"Put the document away.""
"No.""
"Camille.""
"Tell me why Grandpa signed something eighteen months ago.""
Richard turned.
"He didn't.""
Camille looked down at the page.
"Then why is his signature here?""
"Because Victor had access to some of his old documents.""
"That's not an answer.""
Richard walked toward the desk and reached for the folder.
Camille pulled it away.
"Don't.""
His expression hardened.
"Give me that.""
"No. You've been telling me what to do all my life. You've told me what to wear, what to say, who to meet, and which people were important enough to acknowledge. And now I discover you've put my name on a company I know nothing about.""
She lifted the document.
"You're going to explain this.""
Richard stared at his daughter.
For several seconds, he looked like a man trying to decide whether the truth would hurt more than another lie.
Finally, he sat down.
"Your grandfather didn't trust Victor.""
Camille frowned.
"What?""
"Your grandfather knew his younger son was ambitious. He believed Victor wanted control of Laurent Estates, even though the company was built by our family.""
"But Victor is a Morel.""
"Exactly.""
Richard opened another drawer and removed an old photograph.
It showed three men standing in front of the original Laurent Estates headquarters.
Camille recognized her grandfather.
Beside him stood a much younger Richard.
The third man was Victor Morel.
"Eleven years ago, before your grandfather died, he discovered that Victor had been approaching our lenders privately.""
"Why?""
"To negotiate control over our outstanding debt.""
Camille looked confused.
"Why would he do that?""
"Because if he controlled the debt, he could eventually control the company.""
Richard pointed to the photograph.
"Your grandfather confronted him. They had a terrible argument. Victor left the company, and we thought the matter was finished.""
"But it wasn't.""
"No.""
Richard looked at the folder.
"Apparently, Victor kept working on it.""
Camille sat down slowly.
"And you knew?""
"I suspected.""
"Then why did you work with him?""
Richard rubbed his forehead.
"Because Laurent Estates was in trouble.""
He explained that the company had expanded too aggressively over the previous decade. Several developments had exceeded their budgets. A luxury hotel project in California had suffered construction delays, while a residential development in London had lost two major investors.
The company had borrowed heavily.
When interest rates rose and property values fluctuated, its debt became increasingly difficult to manage.
Victor had appeared with an offer.
He promised to restructure the debt through Northbridge Holdings.
Richard had agreed.
But he hadn't understood the full arrangement.
Or at least, that was what he claimed.
Camille looked at him.
"Did you know he was using Grandpa's signature?""
Richard hesitated.
"I knew Victor had obtained old authorization documents.""
"Did you know he was forging signatures?""
"I didn't ask.""
Camille stared at him.
"You didn't ask?""
"I was trying to save the company.""
"And you used me.""
Richard didn't answer.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from the unknown number appeared.
Ask your father what happened to the original Laurent family trust.
Camille showed him.
Richard's face changed immediately.
"Delete that.""
"Why?""
"Camille, delete it.""
"What is the Laurent family trust?""
He stood abruptly.
"That has nothing to do with you.""
"Apparently, everything has something to do with me tonight.""
Richard walked toward the door.
"Stay here.""
He left.
Camille waited until she heard his footsteps disappear.
Then she photographed every page of the folder.
She sent the images to a new email address and slipped the original documents into her handbag.
She didn't know whom to trust anymore.
Not her father.
Not Victor.
And certainly not the people who had spent the evening pretending everything was normal.
Across town, Sophie Morel was sitting in a private conference room at the Morel Héritage headquarters.
The rain had followed her back from the Laurent estate.
Her hair was finally dry, but a faint red mark remained on her wrist where she had gripped the pool ladder.
Alexandre Morel sat opposite her.
He had arrived shortly after midnight.
At sixty-one, Alexandre was a formidable businessman, but tonight he looked more like a worried father than the chairman of an international investment group.
He placed a cup of tea in front of Sophie.
"Tell me everything.""
She did.
She described Camille's behavior, the financial records, the $12 million transfer, and the suspicious agreement.
When she mentioned Victor's name, Alexandre became very still.
"Are you certain?""
"James traced the company.""
"Did Richard confirm it?""
"He admitted that he and Victor had created the arrangement.""
Alexandre stood and walked toward the window.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he asked, "Did you see the signature?""
"Yes.""
"Which signature?""
"Yours.""
Alexandre turned.
Sophie nodded.
"It was on the original authorization document.""
He returned to the table and examined the photographs James had printed.
His expression became colder with every page.
"That's not my signature.""
"I know.""
"Victor has no authority to sign for me.""
"I know that too.""
Alexandre placed the document down.
"How much money?""
"Twelve million dollars from Laurent Estates. We haven't established whether other transfers were made.""
Alexandre took out his phone.
"Get me Victor.""
James Bennett, standing near the door, immediately stepped forward.
"I've tried, sir. His office says he's unavailable.""
Alexandre gave a humorless laugh.
"Of course he is.""
He dialed again.
This time, someone answered.
"Alexandre.""
Victor sounded almost cheerful.
"Good evening, brother.""
"Don't call me brother.""
A pause.
"That's a little dramatic.""
"Did you forge my signature?""
Victor sighed.
"Not over the phone.""
"Did you use my name to authorize the Northbridge transfer?""
"Alexandre, you don't understand the structure.""
"Then explain it.""
"Richard and I were protecting the companies.""
"By moving twelve million dollars?""
"By preserving value.""
Alexandre looked at Sophie.
She was watching him carefully.
"Who owns Northbridge?""
Victor didn't answer.
"Victor?""
"I'll call you tomorrow.""
"Don't bother.""
Alexandre ended the call.
He sat down.
Sophie pushed the photograph of the old authorization document toward him.
"There's another issue.""
"What?""
"The document mentions the Laurent family trust.""
Alexandre studied the page.
Then he looked at his daughter.
"That trust was established by Richard's father.""
"Does it contain significant assets?""
"It contains something more important.""
"What?""
Alexandre hesitated.
"Control.""
He explained that the original Laurent family trust had been established decades earlier to protect the company's founding assets. It held voting rights, certain development properties, and a controlling interest in the original Laurent Estates parent company.
The trust had been designed so that no single family member could sell or transfer its holdings without the consent of multiple trustees.
But after the founder's death, the trust's records had become difficult to locate.
Richard had claimed that it was inactive.
Victor had claimed that it had been dissolved.
Neither explanation had ever been properly verified.
Sophie leaned forward.
"Could the trust still exist?""
Alexandre looked at James.
"Find out.""
James nodded.
"And if it does?""
Alexandre's voice dropped.
"Then the entire acquisition may have been built on a false premise.""
Sophie looked at the clock.
It was nearly two in the morning.
She had come to the Laurent estate expecting to evaluate a business.
Instead, she had uncovered a possible financial conspiracy involving two families.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Daniel Reeves appeared.
Miss Morel, I found something in the company's old archive. You need to see it immediately.
A second message followed.
It's about your grandfather.
Sophie sat upright.
She called him.
"Daniel?""
His voice was shaky.
"Miss Morel, I found the original trust agreement.""
"Where?""
"In a locked records room beneath the old Laurent headquarters.""
"Why was it there?""
"I don't know. But there's a problem.""
"What problem?""
Daniel took a breath.
"The trust was never dissolved.""
Sophie closed her eyes.
May you like
Then he said the words that changed everything.
"And according to the original agreement, your grandfather's signature wasn't the only one that mattered.""
