Chapter 4 - Twenty-Seven Million Dollars
At 6:15 Sunday morning, Serena entered Eleanor’s office.
The forensic accountants were already waiting.
Daniel Cho pushed a file toward her.
“Blue Meridian Holdings received twenty-seven million dollars from an investment entity jointly controlled by you and Mr. Sterling.”
“I never approved those transfers.”
“We know.”
He showed her three authorization forms.
Her signature appeared on each.
It looked perfect.
Serena knew immediately it was false.
Richard had seen her signature thousands of times.
But something else bothered her.
“Richard doesn’t need my signature for many of our accounts.”
“This one required it.”
“Then why use this account?”
Daniel exchanged a glance with Eleanor.
“Because Blue Meridian appears to have purchased early shares in Sentinel Data.”
Serena frowned.
“With our money?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To create the appearance of outside demand.”
The implications were enormous.
If true, Richard had moved family money through a hidden entity to make investor enthusiasm for Sentinel appear stronger than it really was.
But Daniel raised a hand.
“We’re still verifying. We are not concluding securities fraud based on preliminary documents.”
Serena nodded.
“Who owns Blue Meridian?”
“That’s the interesting part.”
He turned the page.
The beneficial owner was not Richard Sterling.
It was Chloe Davenport.
Serena stared.
“Chloe?”
“According to the filing.”
Eleanor leaned forward.
“Either Chloe is much more sophisticated than Richard realizes, or someone put the company in her name for a reason.”
Serena thought of the gold dress, the social media photographs, the calculated confidence.
“Find out which.”
By Monday morning, Richard’s lawyers were calling.
By noon, gossip sites were calling.
By three, Sentinel’s board was calling.
Serena answered only the last.
The chairman, Malcolm Pierce, spoke carefully.
“Serena, Richard says your divorce is becoming contentious.”
“That’s a personal matter.”
“He also says you may attempt to interfere with Sentinel’s IPO.”
“Did he tell you I intend to?”
“No.”
“Then why are we speaking?”
Silence.
Malcolm finally said, “Because you’re still one of Sterling Technologies’ largest shareholders.”
There it was.
Richard had remembered.
“I have no intention of harming a company I partly own.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“But Malcolm?”
“Yes?”
“If Sentinel’s disclosures are accurate, they have nothing to fear from me.”
Another silence.
This one longer.
That evening Richard arrived at the penthouse.
Serena had moved into a Hastings-owned townhouse on East Seventy-Third Street, but she returned with Eleanor to collect personal items.
Richard was waiting.
“You hired forensic accountants?”
“Yes.”
“You froze the joint investment vehicle.”
“My lawyer requested safeguards after discovering forged documents.”
His jaw tightened.
“You’re accusing me of forgery?”
“I haven't accused anyone.”
“Stop playing games.”
“You taught me not to make claims without evidence.”
For a moment they simply stared at each other.
Then Richard changed tactics.
His voice softened.
“Serena. We loved each other once.”
The sentence hurt more than she expected.
“Yes.”
“I made mistakes.”
“A fourteen-month affair is an unusually organized mistake.”
Richard flinched.
She had caught the lie.
“Chloe means nothing compared to twelve years.”
“Then why is she wearing my grandmother’s necklace?”
He had no answer.
Serena walked upstairs.
Richard followed.
“I can end it.”
She turned.
“With Chloe?”
“Yes.”
“Would that make me unsee what you did?”
“No.”
“Would it restore my signature to those documents?”
Richard froze.
Only for half a second.
But Serena saw it.
“You know about Blue Meridian,” she whispered.
“Serena—”
“Did you forge my signature?”
“No.”
“Did you know someone did?”
“No.”
Too fast.
She stepped backward.
For the first time she was not looking at an unfaithful husband.
She was looking at a stranger.
Her phone rang.
Daniel.
She answered.
“We found the person who incorporated Blue Meridian,” he said.
“Who?”
“A corporate attorney named Leonard Pike.”
Serena waited.
Daniel continued.
“He works for Chloe’s father.”
“What?”
“Victor Davenport.”
Serena knew the name.
Everyone in Manhattan finance did.
Victor Davenport had built and destroyed three investment firms. He had avoided prison after a federal investigation eight years earlier, although two partners had not.
Richard heard the name.
The color drained from his face.
Serena lowered the phone.
“You know him.”
Richard said nothing.
“You know Chloe’s father.”
Still nothing.
Then Richard whispered:
“I can explain.”
Serena stared at him.
Behind his arrogance she saw something she had never expected.
Fear.
“Then explain.”
Richard looked toward the hallway as though someone might be listening.
“Not here.”
“Why?”
May you like
His next words changed everything.
“Because Chloe isn’t my biggest problem.”
