Marcus continued, his voice growing sharper.
“You need to talk to him.
Tell him there was some banking problem.”
“Was there?”
A pause.
“Don’t start being difficult now, Evelyn.”
I stared at the ledger on the table.
“Did you move money from his advance three days ago?”
The silence on the line told me everything.
Then Marcus laughed.
Too loudly.
“You don’t understand business.”
“I understand transfers.”
Another silence.
When he spoke again, the contempt was gone.
“What have you been looking at?”
I ended the call.
Adrian studied me.
“He knows something is wrong.”
“Good.”
My family arrived at the mansion before noon.
My father came first through the drawing room doors, followed by Marcus and my mother.
All three stopped when they saw me sitting beside Adrian.
He was no longer wearing the disguise.
Marcus stared at him.
“Who the hell are you?”
Adrian stood.
“Adrian Cross.”
The reaction was immediate.
My father’s face drained of color.
Marcus looked confused for half a second, then recognition struck.
My mother gripped the back of a chair.
Adrian noticed all of it.
“So you do remember the name,” he said.
My father recovered first.
“This is fraud.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“That’s an interesting opening argument from you.”
“You represented yourself as Alden Vale.”
“The corporate entity that issued the loan and acquired your collateral is legal.
Your attorneys reviewed every page.
You signed voluntarily.”
My father’s eyes swung toward me.
“Evelyn, get your things.
We’re leaving.”
For twenty-six years, that tone had worked.
I stayed seated.
“No.”
Marcus stared at me.
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
My mother stepped forward.
“Evelyn, whatever is happening, we can discuss it at home.”
“You sold me last night.
You don’t get to call it home this morning.”
Her face tightened.
