Chapter 5 - VANESSA'S SECRET
Vanessa expected Ethan to protect her.
Instead, he stopped answering her calls.
Her apartment was suddenly surrounded by reporters.
Her credit cards stopped working.
The luxury car leased under Ethan's company was repossessed.
She called him again.
Nothing.
Then Martin's assistant contacted her.
“We need to speak.”
Vanessa arrived at the office angry.
“What is this?”
Martin opened a file.
“Your name appears on several corporate payments.”
Her face changed.
“I don't know anything about those.”
“You received $2.3 million.”
“What?”
“Consulting fees.”
“I was a consultant.”
“For what?”
She couldn't answer.
Martin pushed another page forward.
There were invoices.
Emails.
Bank transfers.
Signatures.
Vanessa's name appeared repeatedly.
She realized something.
Ethan had used her.
Not as a partner.
As a shield.
“You're going to prison,” Martin said quietly.
Vanessa's eyes filled.
“I didn't know.”
“Then tell us what you do know.”
She hesitated.
“Ethan has another account.”
Martin looked up.
“Where?”
“Cayman Islands.”
“Name?”
“I don't know.”
“Try.”
Vanessa whispered:
“Blackstone Meridian.”
Martin's expression changed.
That name had appeared in Grace's documents.
He immediately called her.
Grace arrived thirty minutes later.
Vanessa looked at her.
“I thought you lost.”
Grace sat across from her.
“I did.”
Vanessa blinked.
“What?”
“For eleven years.”
Grace leaned forward.
“But I'm done losing.”
Vanessa looked down.
“I didn't know he was going to betray you.”
“You knew he was cheating.”
“Yes.”
“You knew he was moving money.”
Vanessa cried.
“I thought he loved me.”
Grace stared at her.
“Does he?”
Vanessa couldn't answer.
That silence was enough.
Grace stood.
May you like
“Tell me everything.”
And Vanessa did.
