Chapter 6: The Company They Tried to Steal
For several seconds, I couldn't hear anything except the coffee machine behind the counter.
Someone had submitted a document claiming I had agreed to sell Bennett Hospitality Group.
To Vanessa Williams.
To a woman who had laughed at me less than twenty-four hours earlier because she thought I was a waiter with no future.
“Richard,” I said slowly, “tell me exactly what you're looking at.””
Richard Coleman exhaled.
“It's a preliminary acquisition agreement. It claims you've agreed to transfer controlling ownership of Bennett Hospitality Group to Williams Development Group in exchange for thirty-two million dollars.””
I stared at the table.
“That's impossible.””
“I know.””
“My company isn't for sale.””
“Then someone is trying to create the appearance that it is.””
David leaned forward.
“Ask him about the signatures.””
Richard heard him.
“Is David with you?””
“Yes.””
“Put me on speaker.””
I did.
Richard continued.
“The document contains signatures from both of you. There's also an authorization letter from Bennett Family Holdings.””
David shook his head.
“I never signed anything.””
Richard paused.
“That's what I suspected.””
I looked at my brother.
“Richard, who submitted it?””
“A representative claiming to act on behalf of Williams Development. The submission came through a private transaction portal.””
“Can you identify the representative?””
“Not yet. But there's something else. The agreement includes a clause allowing the buyer to assume existing financial obligations.””
I frowned.
“What obligations?””
“The eight-million-dollar loan secured against your family property.””
David stood abruptly.
“They're using the loan to take the company?””
Richard answered carefully.
“That's one possibility. If the documents were accepted as genuine and the loan defaulted, the people behind this arrangement could attempt to use the resulting financial pressure to force a sale.””
I rubbed my forehead.
This wasn't a misunderstanding anymore.
It was a coordinated attempt to steal assets using forged documents.
“Richard, freeze every pending transaction connected to Williams Development.””
“Already done.””
“And notify your legal department that my company disputes the agreement.””
“Understood.””
I ended the call.
David remained standing.
“I told you she was dangerous.””
I looked at him.
“You knew she was involved with the family property. Why didn't you come to me earlier?””
He lowered his head.
“Because I was ashamed.””
“Of what?””
“Of needing help.””
I stared at him.
He continued.
“Six months ago, Williams Development was struggling. I had invested most of my savings into two commercial projects. One collapsed.
The other was delayed. I was behind on payments, and Vanessa offered to help.””
“How much money did she give you?””
“Twenty-five thousand dollars.””
I leaned back.
“Did you repay it?””
“Yes. Every dollar.””
“Then why are you involved?””
“She kept saying she had investors. She promised to make me a partner in a larger development project. I thought I could finally build something of my own.””
He looked at me.
“I didn't know she was using your name.””
I wanted to be angry.
Part of me was.
But I also remembered the years we had spent avoiding each other because neither of us wanted to admit that the other had been hurt.
“David, I need you to tell me everything. No more secrets.””
He nodded.
“I will.””
My phone buzzed.
A message from Claire.
*Sir, Vanessa is downstairs. She says she has an appointment with you and refuses to leave.*
I looked at David.
“Stay here.””
He grabbed his jacket.
“I'm coming with you.””
We returned to headquarters together.
Vanessa was standing in the reception area.
She had changed her outfit.
This time she wore a black dress, a pearl necklace, and an expensive handbag.
When she saw me, she smiled.
“Marcus! Finally.””
I stopped several feet away.
“What are you doing here?””
She glanced at David.
“Oh, good. You found him.””
David's jaw tightened.
“Vanessa, what did you do?””
She sighed.
“David, please. We don't need to have this conversation in public.””
“You forged my signature.””
Her smile disappeared.
“Be careful what you accuse people of.””
I stepped forward.
“You submitted an acquisition agreement claiming I agreed to sell my company.””
She laughed.
“That's a serious accusation.””
“Then you'll have no problem explaining it to our attorneys.””
She looked between us.
Then she folded her arms.
“Marcus, you're making a mistake. I came here to offer you a solution.””
“What solution?””
She opened her handbag and removed a document.
“Williams Development is prepared to purchase a controlling interest in Bennett Hospitality Group. Thirty-two million dollars. You walk away with a substantial fortune, and I handle the expansion.””
I stared at her.
“You expect me to sell my company to you?””
“Why not? You're already wealthy. You could retire.””
I took a step closer.
“Vanessa, do you understand what my company represents?””
She rolled her eyes.
“Eleven restaurants and a lot of expensive furniture?””
I looked at Claire.
She was standing behind the reception desk, listening.
I turned back.
“It represents eleven hundred employees. People with mortgages, children, medical bills, and families depending on their paychecks.””
Vanessa shrugged.
“Businesses change hands all the time.””
“Not through forged documents.””
Her expression hardened.
“You should be careful, Marcus. You don't know everything that's happening.””
“Then explain it.””
She leaned closer.
“You think Sterling Capital is going to protect you? They're protecting their own interests. Once they realize your company has a fraudulent loan attached to it, they'll walk away.””
I said nothing.
She smiled.
“Without their forty million dollars, your expansion plans are finished.””
I watched her carefully.
There was something in her confidence that bothered me.
She knew about the investment agreement.
She knew about the loan.
She knew how much pressure those developments could create.
But she also seemed to believe I was completely dependent on Sterling Capital.
She didn't understand that Bennett Hospitality had been profitable for years.
The investment was an opportunity.
It wasn't our lifeline.
“Vanessa,” I said, “I'm going to ask you one question.””
She lifted her chin.
“What?””
“Who gave you access to my confidential financial information?””
Her eyes flickered.
Just once.
But I saw it.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.””
I nodded.
“Then we're finished.””
She turned toward David.
“You're making a terrible mistake by listening to him.””
David looked directly at her.
“No. My mistake was listening to you.””
Vanessa's expression changed.
For the first time, she looked genuinely angry.
“You ungrateful little man. I gave you an opportunity when your own brother wouldn't even answer your calls.””
David's fists clenched.
“You gave me twenty-five thousand dollars and then used my signature to steal an eight-million-dollar loan.””
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it.
I gestured toward the entrance.
“Please leave.””
Vanessa picked up her handbag.
She paused beside me.
“You'll regret humiliating me.””
I met her eyes.
“You humiliated yourself.””
She walked out.
Claire approached immediately.
“Sir, should I contact security?””
“Yes. Preserve the lobby footage and restrict access to all visitors claiming to represent Williams Development.””
She nodded.
David remained beside me.
“Marcus?””
“Yes?””
“I think there's someone else you need to speak to.””
“Who?””
He looked toward the glass doors.
“The person Vanessa met at that private club.””
I frowned.
“Richard's analyst?””
David shook his head.
“No.””
He took out his phone and showed me a second photograph.
The man in the charcoal suit was standing beside Vanessa.
But this time, the photograph showed his face clearly.
I recognized him.
He was not Richard's analyst.
He was Daniel Price.
May you like
Our company's legal director.
The man who had been helping us investigate the fraud.
