Chapter 5 - Cracks in the Armor
The word audit hit Ryan like a physical blow.
He tried to keep his composure, but I saw the faint vein near his temple throb—a nervous tic he always had whenever he was backed into a corner.
"An audit?" Vanessa piped up, her voice dropping her fake sweet tone, replaced by an edge of hostility. "Miss Vance, Carter Developments is a fully transparent company. Ryan’s personal family trust was cleared by the state courts weeks ago. An external audit seems... unnecessary and invasive."
I turned my cold gaze onto Vanessa. Up close, I could see the heavy foundation trying to cover her fine lines, the desperation beneath her polished exterior. She was wearing my mother's heirloom sapphire necklace. Seeing it around her neck made my blood boil, but I forced a polite, amused laugh.
"Invasive, Mrs...?" I paused, pretending not to know her title.
"Vanessa," she snapped softly. "I am Ryan's Chief Operating Partner."
"Ah, the partner," I smiled thinly. "Miss Vanessa, when Vance Global prepares to write a check for twenty million dollars, we do not rely on local court stamps. We verify everything down to the cent. If Mr. Carter has nothing to hide regarding how his late wife’s estate was converted... then an audit should be a mere formality, shouldn't it?"
Ryan cleared his throat quickly, shooting Vanessa a sharp warning glare. He couldn't afford to lose a twenty-million-dollar deal. His high-rise project was already overleveraged; he had taken out massive predatory loans counting on Vance Global’s investment to keep the banks from foreclosing.
"Of course," Ryan forced a wide, tight smile, though sweat was beginning to glisten on his forehead. "We have absolute confidence in our books. I'll have my CFO prepare the access codes for your team by Monday morning."
"Wonderful," I said, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray. I held it up in a toast. "To fresh starts, Mr. Carter. And to secrets that stay buried... where they belong."
I tapped my glass against his and took a slow sip, keeping my eyes locked onto his. Ryan looked thoroughly unnerved, his eyes tracking my every movement as I turned around and walked away toward the VIP lounge.
"Good job," Caleb whispered into my earpiece. "His heart rate must be through the roof. I just intercepted a frantic text from Vanessa to his attorney. She’s asking if the life insurance payout from your 'death' can be moved to an offshore shell account tonight."
"They're panicking," I replied under my breath, slipping into a shadowed corridor near the private restrooms. "They know the trust money wasn't cleared legally. He used forged signatures on the beneficiary updates three days before he pushed me."
"Be careful, Emily," Caleb warned. "Ryan’s head of security, a guy named Marcus, just left the main floor. He’s heading down your hallway."
I paused, leaning against the marble wall, pretending to check my phone.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the tiled hall. A tall, broad-shouldered man in a dark suit approached. Marcus. Ryan’s personal fixer—the man who did the dirty work Ryan was too cowardly to perform himself.
Marcus stopped a few feet away from me, his sharp eyes squinting as he analyzed my face under the hallway lights.
"Miss Vance?" Marcus asked, his voice low and raspy.
"Yes?" I looked up, cool and indifferent.
"Mr. Carter asked me to escort you back to your vehicle when you leave tonight," Marcus said, stepping closer, blocking the exit. "He wants to make sure our prestigious guest stays... completely safe in our city."
It wasn't an offer of courtesy; it was a threat. Ryan was already suspicious. He was testing me.
"That won't be necessary," I said, slipping my phone into my clutch bag and taking a step forward, right into his personal space. "I have my own security, Mr. Marcus. And unlike Mr. Carter... I don't hire men who leave loose ends."
Marcus’s eyes widened slightly at the phrase. Before he could react, my personal bodyguard—a massive former secret service agent hired by Caleb—stepped out from the adjoining foyer, towering over Marcus.
"Is there a problem here, ma'am?" my guard asked.
"No problem at all," I smiled at Marcus, stepping around him. "Just discussing safety protocols."
May you like
I walked out of the venue into the cool night air, where a black armored sedan was waiting for me. As the door closed, I looked back at the grand entrance of the Hyatt.
The crack in Ryan's armor had formed. Now, it was time to shatter it completely.
