Chapter 3 - The Pawn in the Suburbs
The next morning, I did not go to the office. I drove to Plano.
The house was beautiful. A sprawling, modern farmhouse with a perfectly manicured lawn and a swing set in the backyard. The house twelve million dollars of my company’s money had purchased.
I walked up to the front door and rang the bell.
A moment later, the door opened. Clare Bennett stood there, wearing yoga pants and a loose sweater. When she saw me, her face turned the color of ash. She instinctively stepped back, trying to close the door.
"If you shut this door, Clare, my next stop is the FBI field office," I said. My voice was calm, but it carried the weight of a loaded gun.
She stopped. Her hand trembled on the brass handle. She opened the door wider and stepped aside.
I walked into the foyer. The house smelled like expensive candles and fresh coffee. From the living room, I heard the sound of cartoons playing. I walked past Clare and looked into the room.
Sitting on the floor, playing with a wooden train set, was a little boy. He had Daniel’s dark, curly hair. He had Daniel’s exact jawline. The resemblance was so striking it physically took my breath away. This was the child my husband had created while holding my hand in fertility clinics, telling me it was okay if we never had a family.
"His name is Leo," Clare whispered, coming up behind me. She was crying silently. "Valentina... I am so sorry. He told me your marriage was over. He told me you were just staying together for the optics of the IPO."
"He told you a lot of things, Clare," I said, turning to face her. "Did he also tell you that you are going to federal prison?"
Clare gasped, clutching her sweater. "What?"
"I found the shell companies," I said, stepping closer to her, forcing her to look me in the eyes. "Apex. Horizon. Camellia Trust. Twelve million dollars embezzled from Meridian Automation. And guess whose signature is on every single LLC formation document?"
Clare shook her head frantically. "No. No, Daniel set those up! He told me they were legitimate offshore holding accounts for tax purposes! He told me to sign as the registered agent because he couldn't have his name on them before the public offering!"
"And you believed him," I said, feeling a sudden, strange wave of pity for the woman. She was a mistress, yes. But she was also a profoundly stupid pawn. Daniel hadn't just bought her a house. He had legally insulated himself. He had set her up to take the fall for the entire financial crime. If the board ever found the missing money, Daniel was going to claim his rogue assistant stole it.
"He framed you, Clare," I said coldly. "He used my money to buy your loyalty, and he used your signature to buy his freedom."
Clare collapsed onto the entryway bench, sobbing into her hands. "I have a son. I can't go to prison. He’s all I have. Please, Valentina. I’ll do anything. I’ll disappear. Just don't let them take me away from my baby."
I looked at the little boy in the living room, blissfully unaware that his entire world was collapsing. I was ruthless, but I was not a monster. I was not going to leave a four-year-old child without a mother.
"Get your laptop, Clare," I commanded. "You are going to log into those shell accounts. You are going to transfer every single remaining cent into a holding trust controlled by me. And then, you are going to write a sworn, notarized affidavit detailing exactly how Daniel instructed you to move the money."
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She looked up, her eyes wide with desperate hope. "If I do that... you won't turn me in?"
"If you do exactly what I say, you and Leo get to keep this house, and you stay out of a cage," I promised. "But Daniel loses everything."
