Chapter 16 - The GrandmotherIsabella Navarro arrived at Sebastian’s house the following afternoon wearing pearls.
She was seventy-two.
Elegant.
Controlled.
A woman who had attended charity galas while privately terrifying everyone who worked for her.
Sophie adored her.
That made what came next worse.
Sebastian placed the trust document on the table.
“Explain.”
Isabella looked at it.
No surprise.
Claudia saw that immediately.
“You knew,” Claudia whispered.
Isabella sat.
“Yes.”
Sebastian stared at his mother.
“For twelve years?”
“Yes.”
He turned away.
Claudia had seen Sebastian angry.
This was different.
This was grief wearing anger’s face.
“You knew I had two children.”
“I knew Rebecca was pregnant.”
“You knew Lily survived.”
“Yes.”
“Did you help my father take her?”
Isabella looked at her son.
“No.”
“Then why is your signature here?”
“Because I tried to stop him.”
Sebastian laughed bitterly.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No.”
She reached into her handbag.
“I expect you to read.”
She placed a bundle of letters on the table.
Original letters.
Rebecca’s letters to Sebastian.
Unopened.
Marcus had given them to Alejandro.
Isabella had stolen them from Alejandro’s office years later.
“Why didn’t you give them to me?”
“Cowardice.”
The answer was immediate.
“I told myself the children had stable lives. I told myself exposing what your father did would destroy the company and send people to prison.”
“People should have gone to prison.”
“Yes.”
“Your husband stole my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“And you protected his reputation.”
Isabella’s voice broke.
“Yes.”
Sebastian looked at his mother.
Then toward the stairs where his own children slept.
“I don’t want you around Sophie, Noah, or Emilia.”
Claudia looked at him.
Isabella closed her eyes.
“I understand.”
“No. You don’t.”
He opened the door.
“My children will never learn that family loyalty means helping someone hide cruelty.”
Isabella stood.
For the first time, she looked old.
Before leaving, she turned toward Claudia.
“There’s something else.”
Sebastian almost laughed.
“Of course there is.”
Isabella looked at him.
“Thomas Greer isn’t dead.”
Sebastian froze.
“He contacted me yesterday.”
“Why?”
“He wants money.”
“For what?”
“Silence.”
“About Lily?”
Isabella shook her head.
“About Marcus.”
Sebastian stepped closer.
“What about Marcus?”
Isabella looked frightened.
“Marcus didn’t start stealing from you because he hated you.”
“What?”
“He started because your father ordered him to create hidden accounts.”
Sebastian’s face changed.
“When?”
“Fifteen years ago.”
Before Marcus’s betrayal.
Before Sebastian inherited full control.
The corruption had started with Alejandro.
Marcus had simply continued it.
Then Isabella delivered the part that changed everything.
“Some of those accounts are still active.”
“Who controls them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Greer?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Isabella looked directly at Claudia.
“The person has been using Claudia’s identity.”
Claudia went cold.
“What?”
Isabella handed her a bank document.
CLAUDIA REEVES NAVARRO.
Authorized controller.
Offshore assets.
$63.8 million.
Claudia stared.
“I’ve never seen this.”
“I know.”
Sebastian understood instantly.
If authorities discovered the accounts without context, Claudia could appear to have participated in years of financial crimes.
Someone had constructed an escape route.
And placed Claudia at the end of it.
His phone rang.
Federal investigator Daniel Mercer.
“Sebastian, we need to talk.”
“About?”
A pause.
“Your wife.”
Sebastian looked at Claudia.
Mercer continued.
“We’ve uncovered offshore accounts bearing Claudia’s verified digital signature.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“They’re forged.”
“Maybe.”
“Not maybe.”
“Sebastian.”
Mercer’s voice became serious.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“One of the accounts received a transfer yesterday.”
“How much?”
“Eight million dollars.”
Claudia’s face drained of color.
Sebastian asked:
“From where?”
Mercer answered.
“Navarro Maritime Security.”
May you like
Someone was stealing again.
And this time, they wanted the world to believe Claudia was responsible.
