Chapter 4 - THE PRICE OF EIGHT YEARS
Sunday morning began with six lawyers, two accountants, one pot of coffee, and a marriage that no longer existed anywhere except on paper.
Dominic arrived at Cross Meridian at 9:58.
He came alone.
No Vanessa.
No assistant.
No security visible in the conference room.
Evelyn was already seated beside Rachel Stein, a divorce attorney Gabriel had recommended only after Evelyn interviewed three others herself.
That detail mattered to her.
No more accepting decisions simply because a powerful man said, Trust me.
Dominic placed a leather folder on the table.
“You work quickly.”
Evelyn looked at him.
“I learned from you.”
He sat.
His attorney, Malcolm Pierce, opened negotiations.
“Mr. Vale is prepared to offer Mrs. Vale the penthouse, twenty million dollars, continued medical coverage, and ownership of the Lake Forest property in exchange for a clean dissolution and mutual confidentiality.”
Rachel did not react.
Evelyn did.
“No.”
Dominic leaned back.
“You don’t even want to think about it?”
“I have.”
“For fifteen seconds?”
“For eight years.”
His mouth tightened.
Rachel pushed a document across the table.
“We’re requesting a complete accounting of all marital assets and all financial instruments requiring Mrs. Vale’s authorization.”
Malcolm adjusted his glasses.
“Some business records are confidential.”
“Then we’ll execute appropriate protective agreements.”
Dominic looked at Evelyn.
“You don’t need to turn this into war.”
“I requested documents.”
“You brought Gabriel Cross into it.”
“You brought Vanessa into our marriage.”
A silence fell.
Malcolm looked down.
Rachel looked at nothing.
Dominic’s voice softened.
“Evelyn.”
It was the first time he had used her name that way since the previous evening.
She hated that she still recognized the tone.
“You want the truth?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“The trust never mattered until now.”
“Then why hide it?”
“I didn’t hide it.”
“You told me it was dissolved.”
“It had no operational authority.”
“Gabriel disagrees.”
“Gabriel profits if I lose control of the Lakeshore deal.”
“And you profit if I remain ignorant.”
Dominic said nothing.
That was answer enough.
The accountants began producing records.
For three hours, the room filled with numbers.
Holdings.
Properties.
Loans.
Trusts.
Preferred shares.
Partnership interests.
Evelyn discovered she had signed documents worth more money than she had ever understood.
But something else appeared.
A pattern.
Four consulting payments.
Then seven.
Then fourteen.
All to a company called Halcyon Strategy Group.
Rachel frowned.
“PR consulting?”
Dominic glanced at the spreadsheet.
“Yes.”
“Five point eight million dollars?”
“That covers several years.”
Evelyn looked toward him.
“Who owns Halcyon?”
Dominic’s expression did not change.
“I don’t know.”
Rachel circled the name.
“We’ll need vendor records.”
Malcolm objected immediately.
“That is outside the divorce.”
Gabriel, who had remained silent at the far end of the room because Cross Meridian was a creditor, spoke for the first time.
“It isn’t outside the financing review.”
Dominic turned.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“No.”
Gabriel closed the document in front of him.
“I find poorly documented payments extremely unenjoyable.”
Dominic ignored him.
Then his phone vibrated.
Vanessa.
Evelyn could see the name.
Dominic turned the phone facedown.
The gesture nearly made her laugh.
Eight months earlier it would have broken her heart.
Now it merely looked predictable.
By Monday afternoon, the first complication arrived.
Halcyon Strategy Group was registered in Nevada.
Its managing member was Christopher Quinn.
Vanessa’s older brother.
Dominic stared at the report in his office.
His CFO, Miriam Cole, stood across from him.
“That can’t be right.”
“It is.”
“Vanessa told me Halcyon came through Davenport.”
“She recommended them personally.”
Dominic looked up sharply.
“No.”
Miriam placed an email on his desk.
Vanessa Quinn to Dominic Vale.
Halcyon is excellent. I’ve used them before. Approve the vendor package and I’ll handle the rest.
Dominic remembered the email.
He remembered barely reading it.
He had approved it from an airport lounge.
“Why didn’t compliance flag the relationship?”
“They didn’t know there was one.”
Dominic stood.
“How much went through them?”
“Seven point two million, including last quarter.”
The number was higher than Sunday’s preliminary figure.
“Where did it go?”
“We’re tracing it.”
Dominic walked to the window.
Below him, the river cut through Chicago.
He had built Vale Holdings by assuming everyone wanted something.
Money.
Access.
Protection.
Power.
He had trusted Vanessa because she had never pretended otherwise.
That suddenly seemed like very poor logic.
“Get me everything.”
Miriam hesitated.
“There’s more.”
Dominic turned.
“Halcyon billed us for media acquisitions connected to the Lakeshore zoning campaign.”
“Yes.”
“Some of those vendors don’t exist.”
His expression hardened.
“How many?”
“We’ve confirmed four.”
He looked at the clock.
Vanessa had texted twice.
Miss you.
Then:
Are we still having dinner?
Dominic typed one response.
Come to my office.
At 6:40, Vanessa entered wearing a cream coat and carrying a designer handbag.
She kissed his cheek.
“You look terrible.”
Dominic placed the Halcyon records on the desk.
Her eyes moved downward.
Only for a second.
But he saw it.
“What is this?” he asked.
She slowly removed her gloves.
“Accounting.”
“Your brother owns Halcyon.”
“Yes.”
Dominic stared at her.
“You never told me.”
“You never asked.”
His expression changed.
Vanessa sat.
“Christopher built a legitimate consulting firm.”
“It has billed me seven million dollars.”
“Vale Holdings.”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
She crossed one leg over the other.
“If this is about Evelyn, you’re letting her get inside your head.”
“This has nothing to do with Evelyn.”
“Everything suddenly has to do with Evelyn.”
Dominic’s voice dropped.
“Answer the question.”
Vanessa looked at him for a long moment.
Then smiled.
“You really didn’t know, did you?”
Something cold moved through him.
“Know what?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Your company is much easier to steal from than you think.”
And twenty miles away, Evelyn’s phone rang.
It was Miriam Cole.
They had met only three times socially.
Evelyn almost did not answer.
“Mrs. Vale?”
“Yes?”
“I shouldn’t be calling you.”
Evelyn sat upright.
“Then why are you?”
Miriam’s voice lowered.
“Because someone has been moving money out of your husband’s company.”
May you like
A pause.
“And I think they were planning to blame you.”
