Chapter 4 - The Fall of Madison Vale
The security guards who escorted Adrian from the building were not the polite residential guards from Lake Shore Drive; they were corporate asset protection agents in dark tactical suits. They stood behind him as he emptied his desk into two cardboard bankers boxes.
I didn't stay to watch him pack his family photos—most of which featured me smiling beside him at charity galas he had used to mask his theft. Instead, I took the private elevator down to the forty-second floor: the department of Strategic Acquisitions.
The floor was completely silent. Word of the board’s emergency vote had spread through the internal messaging system like a wildfire through dry pine. Employees were frozen at their desks, whispering behind dual monitors, eyes darting toward the glass corner office bearing the brass nameplate: Madison Vale, Executive Vice President.
Madison was not at her desk, of course. She was still on maternity leave at Northwestern Memorial, or perhaps already resting comfortably in her four-million-dollar Lincoln Park brownstone. But her personal assistant, a terrified twenty-four-year-old named Chloe, was frantically packing folders into a designer leather satchel.
""Chloe,"" I said, standing in the doorway of the office.
The girl gasped, dropping a stack of glossy files onto the carpet. ""Mrs. Sterling! I... I was just gathering Ms. Vale’s personal items. She called me from the recovery suite an hour ago. She told me to clear out her hard drives and personal records immediately.""
""Step away from the desk, Chloe,"" I said gently.
Behind me, two IT forensic specialists from Ernst & Young entered the room carrying server imaging kits, accompanied by our head of human resources.
""Ms. Vale’s employment with Whitmore Sterling has been suspended pending a full criminal and regulatory audit,"" HR Director Sarah Lin announced. ""Any removal, deletion, or destruction of corporate property, digital files, or physical records is a felony under federal financial regulations. Chloe, log out of her terminal now.""
Chloe stepped back with her hands in the air, trembling. ""I didn't know anything, Mrs. Sterling! I swear to God! I just thought Adrian—Mr. Sterling—was helping her with an outside investment fund. I didn't know where the money came from!""
""Nobody is blaming you, Chloe,"" I said, watching the IT team attach high-speed duplication drives to Madison’s desktop workstation. ""Go home for the day. Your job is safe. Ms. Vale’s, however, is over.""
I walked into Madison’s office and sat in the ergonomic leather chair behind her massive walnut desk. On the credenza sat a framed photograph taken at last year’s Christmas gala. In it, Madison was laughing, holding a glass of vintage champagne, while Adrian stood just behind her, his hand resting casually—almost imperceptibly—on the small of her back. I had taken that photograph myself. I remembered telling them both how wonderful the team dynamic looked.
How blind love makes a woman.
The desk phone began to ring. The caller ID flashed: Northwestern Memorial - Private Suite 412.
I tapped the speakerphone button.
""Chloe?"" Madison’s voice came through, sharp, panicked, and entirely stripped of the serene, victorious tone she had used on me two days ago. ""Did you wipe the backup drives on the local server? You need to take the blue flash drive from my middle drawer and courier it to my sister’s house in Evanston right now! Adrian isn't answering his phone! His assistant says he was escorted out by security! What the hell is going on up there?""
I waited three seconds, letting her panic mount into the silence.
""Chloe isn't available, Madison,"" I said smoothly.
A suffocating gasp cut off Madison's breath. ""Claire?""
""It’s Claire Whitmore,"" I corrected. ""I’m sitting at your desk. It’s a very lovely view of the river. It’s remarkable how much clearer everything looks from this chair.""
""Claire... listen to me,"" Madison stammered, the background sounds of an infant crying softly coming through the speaker. ""Whatever Adrian told you, this wasn't just my doing! He pursued me! He told me your marriage had been dead for two years! He said you were living like roommates and that Arthur’s trust was being restructured to name him majority shareholder! He promised me this company was going to be ours!""
""Adrian is a salesman, Madison. He sells illusions to people who are desperate enough to believe them,"" I replied, leaning back. ""And you were so desperate to step into my life that you never bothered to check the legal title on the ground you were standing on.""
""You can't fire me while I'm on maternity leave!"" Madison shrieked, her voice turning shrill and desperate. ""It’s a violation of federal labor laws! I’ll sue you! I’ll sue the company for discrimination, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress! I have an infant to feed!""
""You don't have an employment claim, Madison,"" I said, picking up a folder left by our compliance team. ""Because you aren't being terminated for having a child. You are being terminated for embezzlement. You authorized nine separate wire transfers totaling one-point-eight million dollars to an offshore entity under your mother’s maiden name under the guise of 'market research.' The Cook County State’s Attorney was briefed thirty minutes ago.""
Silence—absolute, petrified silence—fell over the line. Even the baby seemed to quiet down.
""And as for your house in Lincoln Park,"" I continued, ""the corporate guarantee has been rescinded. The bank will issue a foreclosure demand on Monday morning. I’d advise you to take whatever gifts Adrian bought you with his personal allowance and start looking for a modest two-bedroom rental outside city limits. Because by the time our forensic team finishes with your accounts, you won't be able to get a job managing a lemonade stand in this town.""
""Claire, please!"" she sobbed, completely breaking down. ""Eli is innocent! He’s just a baby! You can't leave us out on the street!""
May you like
""Every child deserves a beautiful beginning, Madison,"" I quoted her own baby shower card back to her. ""That’s what I wrote to you, remember? Eli is innocent. You are not. When Adrian gets back to your hospital room, you two can figure out how to pay your legal retainers together. Goodbye.""
I hung up the phone, closed the folder, and turned to the forensic team. ""Seal the room. Hand everything over to the grand jury.""
