Chapter 6 - Unraveling the Web
The color drained from Sophia’s face so rapidly she stumbled backward, catching herself against the stone balustrade. The manic confidence that had propelled her to Lake Geneva dissolved into sheer, unadulterated terror.
"You... you can't prove that," Sophia stammered, her voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "Adrian signed the paperwork. It was an authorized allocation!"
"An authorized allocation from Eleanor Moretti’s Memorial Arts Endowment?" Claire said, stepping forward, her eyes flashing like steel blades. "Eleanor's will explicitly dictates that any transaction exceeding one million dollars requires the unanimous consent of all three board trustees. Adrian forged my digital signature on the secondary approvals. Did you really think I wouldn't audit the books, Sophia? Did you really believe that because I stayed home from one wedding, I was blind to the rot festering under my own roof?"
Sophia’s breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. She looked around desperately, realizing that every word she had spoken was being captured by the surveillance cameras perched high upon the eaves.
"Claire... please," Sophia whispered, the arrogance completely gone, replaced by the pathetic whimpering of a trapped criminal. "Adrian promised me he would protect me. He said my boutique just needed a temporary bridge loan. If you expose this, my father will go to prison. I will go to prison."
"Then you should have thought of that before you dared to strap Eleanor’s bracelet onto your wrist and parade yourself as the next Mrs. Moretti," Claire said without an ounce of pity. "Get off my property."
Without waiting another second, Sophia spun around and practically ran down the driveway, stumbling on her designer heels in her frantic haste to reach the idling taxi.
As the cab sped away, Claire walked back into the study. She picked up her phone and dialed a number she hadn't called in years—a direct line to Arthur Moretti, Adrian’s father.
Arthur answered on the first ring. "Claire. Are you alright? Has Adrian bothered you?"
"Adrian hasn't," Claire said, her tone sharp and businesslike. "But Sophia Reynolds just came to the estate to threaten me."
A terrifying silence fell over the other end of the line. When Arthur spoke, his voice was deathly quiet. "What did she do?"
"She tried to intimidate me into retracting the public statement," Claire said. "And in doing so, she forced my hand. Arthur, I need you and Isabella to call an emergency executive board meeting tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Adrian must be present. And you will want the head of your legal compliance department in the room."
"Claire... what did my son do?" Arthur asked, a note of deep apprehension creeping into his powerful voice.
"He used Eleanor’s charity as a private slush fund to finance Sophia’s boutique," Claire revealed coldly. "Four million dollars, Arthur. Forged signatures. Wire fraud. If I don't see Adrian stripped of his executive voting power by noon tomorrow, I will take the entire dossier directly to the Securities and Exchange Commission."
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There was an intake of breath on the line. Arthur didn't attempt to make excuses. He didn't ask for mercy for his only son.
"Tomorrow morning, Claire," Arthur said grimly. "A car will be sent to Lake Geneva to bring you to the boardroom. Bring the evidence. If my son is a criminal, he will face the consequences of a criminal."
