Chapter 5 - SERENA’S CHOICE
Julian left Adrian with restaurant security and ran upstairs.
The office door stood open.
The laptop remained on the desk, but the flash drive was missing.
Serena’s purse lay on the floor.
Her phone was beside it.
A message glowed on the screen.
BRING THE DRIVE TO THE GARAGE OR YOUR MOTHER LOSES EVERYTHING.
Julian read the sender’s name.
Graham.
Noah came in behind him.
“She took the service elevator.”
Julian grabbed Serena’s phone and headed for the underground garage.
He found her near a black SUV, arguing with her brother.
Graham Vale was polished, calm, and completely unashamed.
“You were supposed to keep him downstairs,” he said.
“You told me this was a social-media stunt,” Serena snapped. “You didn’t say anything about stealing contracts.”
Graham held out his hand.
“The drive.”
Serena clutched it.
“What did you mean about Mom?”
“She signed personal guarantees for our fund. If Cross doesn’t sell, the Vale estate gets liquidated.”
Julian stepped from behind a concrete pillar.
“So that’s the truth.”
Graham did not flinch.
“You should have accepted my offer.”
“You wanted my company at half its value.”
“I wanted it before the market learned your expansion loan was in default.”
“It isn’t.”
Graham smiled.
“It will be by morning.”
He raised his phone.
A banking transfer confirmation filled the screen.
Someone had moved $42 million from a Cross & Ember reserve account into an offshore holding company.
Julian’s chest tightened.
Only three executives had authority to approve that transfer.
One was Adrian.
One was Julian.
The third was his younger sister, Rachel.
Graham opened the SUV door.
“By sunrise, your lenders will call every note. By noon, your board will remove you. By dinner, I’ll own the room where your girlfriend threw water in your face.”
Serena looked sick.
“You used me.”
“I used what was available.”
She looked at Julian.
Then at the flash drive.
For one long second, Julian could not tell which side she would choose.
May you like
Serena stepped toward her brother.
And placed the drive in his hand.
