Chapter 7: The Woman Who Was Never Supposed to Be There
“Lila Monroe's father was my father's business partner?””
Daniel nodded.
“Thomas Monroe invested in Alden Transport when your father was building his first logistics operation. Their agreement was complicated, but the essential point is that Thomas retained certain contractual rights.””
I sat down.
“Why didn't I know about him?””
“Because Thomas sold his interests years ago.””
“To whom?””
Daniel looked at the document.
“Your father.””
I frowned.
“Then what rights remain?””
“An old contingent payment arrangement. It was supposed to expire after a defined period, but there was a dispute over its final settlement.””
I stared at him.
“Does Lila know?””
“I suspect she knows more than she's admitted.””
I remembered her standing beneath my Gulfstream, wearing my scarf.
Her confidence.
Her comments about Camden being the owner.
Her certainty that she belonged in my world.
Perhaps she hadn't been pretending to be someone important.
Perhaps she had been told she was.
My phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
*You deserve to know what your husband promised my father. Meet me alone. — Lila*
I showed Daniel.
He immediately shook his head.
“No.””
“I need answers.””
“You need protection.””
“I can have both.””
Daniel considered it.
“Then we arrange the meeting somewhere secure.””
I replied.
*Tomorrow. Noon. The company headquarters. Bring every document you have.*
Her response arrived almost immediately.
*I'll be there.*
At noon the following day, Lila entered my office carrying a large envelope.
She looked different from the woman at the airport.
No designer sunglasses.
No expensive scarf.
Her blonde hair was tied back, and her eyes were swollen.
She stopped when she saw Daniel.
“I thought you said you'd come alone.””
“I said we'd meet. I didn't promise secrecy.””
She placed the envelope on my desk.
“Fine.””
I motioned toward the chair.
“Sit.””
She remained standing.
“I don't want to sit.””
“Then don't.””
She looked around my office.
“It's strange being here.””
“Why?””
“Camden told me this would be my office.””
I stared at her.
“He told you what?””
“He said once the restructuring was complete, he'd move you into a smaller role and make me the new director of corporate development.””
I almost laughed.
“Did he?””
“He said the board already supported it.””
Daniel opened his notebook.
“Which board members?””
“Arthur Bennett. Two others. I don't remember their names.””
“That is a serious allegation.””
“I know.””
She opened the envelope.
Inside were printed emails, bank transfers, and a copy of an agreement bearing Camden's signature.
I picked it up.
The title read:
*NORTHSTAR STRATEGIC ACQUISITION AGREEMENT.*
Lila pointed to the second page.
“That's where everything started.””
I read the document.
Northstar Advisory was supposed to acquire a small regional aviation services company.
The proposed acquisition would then be used as the foundation for a new holding structure.
The money transferred from Pierce Aviation would serve as the initial capital.
But the ownership schedule listed three beneficiaries.
Camden Pierce.
Charlotte Alden.
And Thomas Monroe's estate.
I looked at Lila.
“Your father is dead?””
“Yes. He died four years ago.””
“Who controls his estate?””
“I do.””
“Why?””
“Because I was his only child.””
I leaned back.
“So you inherited his rights.””
She nodded.
“Camden told me he could turn those rights into something substantial. He said your father had stolen from mine.””
Daniel examined the agreement.
“Was this ever presented to the board?””
“No.””
“Then why did you sign it?””
Lila looked down.
“Because Camden said it was legitimate.””
I stared at her.
“You were listed as the director of a company that received millions of dollars. You didn't think to ask where the money came from?””
She flushed.
“I thought it was an investment.””
“You thought it was free money?””
Her eyes filled.
“No. I thought it was my father's inheritance.””
I remained silent.
She continued.
“Camden told me you knew. He said you were already preparing to step away from the business.””
“Did he tell you we were separated?””
“Yes.””
“Did he tell you he had filed for divorce?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Did he tell you he had been using our anniversary gifts to impress you?””
Her eyes dropped.
“I didn't know about the scarf.””
I studied her.
For the first time, she looked genuinely ashamed.
“Why did you come here?”” I asked.
She pushed another document toward me.
“Because I found something in Camden's apartment.””
“What apartment?””
“The one he rented in Boston.””
I opened the document.
It was a bank statement.
A transfer of six hundred thousand dollars had been made from Northstar Advisory to an offshore account.
The beneficiary name was obscured, but the receiving bank was listed.
Daniel took the statement.
“Where did you get this?””
“Camden left it on the kitchen counter.””
“Why?””
“He was packing.””
“For what?””
“He said he was going away.””
“Where?””
Lila shook her head.
“He told me not to ask questions.””
I studied the account details.
“Did you withdraw any money?””
“No.””
“Did you authorize the transfer?””
“No.””
Daniel examined the signature.
“Was this your authorization?””
She shook her head again.
“Someone copied my signature.””
I looked at Daniel.
He nodded grimly.
“That will need forensic examination.””
I turned back to Lila.
“Why should I believe you?””
She looked directly at me.
“Because Camden told me something last night.””
“What?””
“He said if you discovered the truth about your father's trust, he would make sure you never got to use it.””
I felt a chill.
“Did he threaten me?””
“He said he had enough information to make you look unstable. He said he could convince the board you were incapable of managing the company.””
I looked toward the window.
The Hudson River moved beneath the afternoon light.
“Is that why he wanted the divorce agreement?””
Lila nodded.
“He said he needed your signature before the board meeting.””
“Why?””
“Because the agreement would have transferred certain interests to him. He said you would sign anything to avoid a public scandal.””
I closed the folder.
Then I asked the question I had been avoiding.
“Did you sleep with my husband?””
Lila looked down.
“Yes.””
“Did he tell you he loved you?””
She nodded.
“And did you believe him?””
Her eyes filled.
“Yes.””
I stood.
“Then you and I have something in common.””
She looked up.
“What?””
“We both believed a man who was telling us exactly what we wanted to hear.””
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered, “I'm sorry.””
I didn't tell her it was all right.
It wasn't.
But I accepted the documents.
That afternoon, Daniel called an emergency meeting with the trust's external auditors.
The bank statements revealed that Northstar had received more money than the original two-point-four-million-dollar transfer.
There were smaller payments from three subsidiaries.
One million here.
Four hundred thousand there.
Another six hundred thousand sent through a consulting company.
The total exceeded five million dollars.
And the final destination was an account connected to an entity called Meridian Legacy Partners.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“That's the problem.””
“What?””
“Meridian Legacy Partners is not an ordinary investment company.””
“Who owns it?””
He enlarged the registration record.
The beneficial owner was listed as an overseas trust.
The trustee was a private bank.
And the settlor's name was:
*Camden Pierce.*
I felt my stomach tighten.
“He created another trust?””
“Yes.””
“With company money?””
“It appears so.””
I walked toward the window.
“Can we freeze it?””
“Not without a court order or cooperation from the receiving institution.””
“Then get one.””
Daniel picked up his phone.
But before he could make the call, Nora rushed into the office.
“Mrs. Pierce, there's a problem.””
“What now?””
“Camden has filed an emergency injunction.””
“For what?””
“To prevent you from exercising control over the aviation group.””
I stared at her.
“On what grounds?””
Nora swallowed.
“He claims the trust was improperly established and that your father concealed a competing beneficiary.””
Daniel slowly closed his laptop.
“Eleanor.””
Nora nodded.
“She has joined the lawsuit.””
I looked at the documents on my desk.
Then at the woman who had helped my husband steal from me.
“Is there anything else?””
Nora hesitated.
“Yes.””
She placed a printed email in front of me.
It had been sent from Charlotte's personal account to Camden two days earlier.
The subject line read:
*The final piece.*
The message contained only one sentence.
*She still doesn't know what happened the night Richard died.*
I looked at Daniel.
He went pale.
May you like
Then he said:
“Vivian, I think we need to talk about your father's death.””
