Chapter 4 - The Phone Call Adrian Laughed At
By sunrise, Adrian had made thirty-seven calls.
Only eleven were answered.
None gave him the answer he wanted.
The Beaumont Group had not publicly attacked Vale Meridian.
That would have been easier.
Instead, Richard Beaumont had done something far more sophisticated.
He had simply stopped protecting it.
Credit guarantees were withdrawn.
Private lenders demanded updated disclosures.
Two institutional investors requested emergency financial statements.
And the board wanted explanations Adrian didn't have.
He stood in his study staring at the city skyline when Vanessa entered.
“You need to fix this.”
Adrian turned.
“Me?”
“She called her father because of you.”
“Because of me?”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You were the one holding the belt.”
The words hung between them.
Adrian's face darkened.
“Careful.”
For the first time, Vanessa didn't retreat.
“No. You be careful.”
She placed her phone on his desk.
“Look.”
A financial news alert showed Vale Meridian under review after lenders raised concerns regarding undisclosed liabilities.
Adrian cursed.
“This shouldn't exist.”
“But it does.”
He looked at her.
“What did you mean last night when you told Claire her signature was on documents?”
Vanessa froze.
“I was trying to scare her.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I'm not.”
Adrian moved closer.
“Vanessa.”
She folded her arms.
“You asked me to handle the shell companies.”
His voice dropped.
“Quiet.”
“Why? Nobody's here.”
“You never say that aloud.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“Now you're worried about rules?”
Adrian stared at her.
The relationship between them had always depended on shared ambition.
Vanessa understood his hunger.
Claire never had.
Or so he had believed.
Now Adrian wondered whether Claire had understood him perfectly and simply refused to become like him.
His phone rang.
The board chairman.
Adrian answered.
“I'm coming.”
The call ended.
Vanessa touched his arm.
“What about us?”
He looked at her stomach.
For the first time since she announced the pregnancy, Adrian felt no excitement.
Only pressure.
“After the meeting.”
He left.
Vanessa watched him go.
Then she picked up her phone.
She opened a hidden messaging application.
There was only one conversation.
She typed:
The audit started. He knows something is wrong. I need out.
A response arrived seconds later.
Then give them Adrian.
Vanessa stared at the message.
Downstairs, the front door slammed.
She whispered to herself:
“Maybe I will.”
And across town, Claire was about to discover that the financial documents carrying her signature were only the beginning.
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