Chapter 6 - Marcus Strikes Back.
Marcus laughed once because the alternative was admitting that everyone in the room had just looked at him like a thief.
"That's ridiculous."
Owen did not look away.
"Those were Thomas Rowan's words."
"You don't know me."
"He does."
Marcus's jaw tightened.
"You expect me to believe a man who vanished almost thirty years ago has been using me to steal my wife's company?"
Owen lowered his hands as Daniel's guards loosened their grip.
"I expect you to believe whatever keeps you alive."
The room went silent.
Evelyn stepped forward.
"Alive?"
Owen's eyes moved toward the hidden staircase.
"Thomas doesn't leave loose ends."
Celeste's face twisted.
"He's my father."
Owen looked at her with something close to pity.
"Then I'm sorry."
A sharp metallic sound came from the staircase.
Daniel raised one hand.
Everyone stopped moving.
Another sound followed.
Footsteps.
Someone was coming down.
Daniel's guards moved toward the steel door.
A hotel security officer appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"It's just me."
Daniel exhaled.
The officer carried a tablet.
"We restored part of the camera archive."
"Anything useful?"
"Very."
He handed the tablet to Daniel.
Security footage from earlier that evening played on-screen.
The service control room appeared empty.
At 8:42 p.m., Celeste entered.
She looked around, opened an electrical panel, and disappeared out of frame.
Celeste stared at the screen.
"That's not possible."
Marcus's voice became dangerously quiet.
"It's you."
"I was in makeup at eight forty-two."
"That's your dress."
"I know what I'm wearing."
Evelyn watched the footage again.
Something bothered her.
The woman moved differently from Celeste.
Her shoulders were narrower.
Her hair fell several inches shorter despite being styled almost identically.
Evelyn pointed.
"Freeze it."
Daniel paused the video.
Evelyn zoomed toward the woman's neck.
No emerald necklace.
Celeste wore one tonight.
"She isn't Celeste."
Marcus looked closer.
"Then who is she?"
The woman turned slightly toward the camera.
Her face remained mostly hidden.
But the profile was similar enough to Celeste to fool someone at a distance.
Celeste whispered.
"My mother."
Everyone looked at her.
"Your mother is here?" Marcus asked.
Celeste shook her head.
"No."
She sounded terrified.
"My mother is dead."
Arthur immediately asked a question.
"When did she die?"
"Nine years ago."
"Where?"
"Connecticut."
"Did you identify the body?"
Celeste recoiled.
"What kind of question is that?"
"Answer it."
"No."
Her breathing accelerated.
"There was a closed casket because of the fire."
Evelyn felt cold again.
"What fire?"
Celeste stared at her.
"Her house burned down."
Marcus looked between the women.
"And nobody thought this mattered until now?"
Celeste snapped at him.
"I thought my mother was dead."
Daniel replayed the security clip.
The woman in the beige coat disappeared near the generator controls.
A second clip showed her leaving through a staff corridor.
This time she turned toward the camera for half a second.
Celeste covered her mouth.
"Mom."
Evelyn studied the older woman's face.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
Arthur's voice sounded strained.
"Her name is Lydia Rowan."
Celeste turned toward the phone.
"You knew her too?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because until tonight, I believed Lydia Rowan died nine years ago."
Celeste laughed bitterly.
"Everyone in this room believes dead people have a habit of coming back."
Marcus stepped away from the desk.
"I have had enough."
Evelyn watched him.
"Where are you going?"
"To my office."
"Your access is suspended."
"I don't need permission to enter a room with my name on the door."
"You may want to get used to that changing."
He turned on her.
"You think you're untouchable because your grandfather put buildings inside a trust."
"No."
Evelyn met his stare.
"I think you mistook my trust in you for weakness."
Marcus stepped closer.
"I ran this company while you spent two years grieving."
"You exploited the two years I was grieving."
"I saved the company."
Arthur interrupted.
"Actually, Mr. Vale, operating revenue declined eleven percent during your executive tenure while management compensation rose thirty-four percent."
Celeste almost smiled.
Marcus's face reddened.
"Stay out of my marriage."
"Your marriage is not my concern."
Arthur's voice remained even.
"The missing forty-eight million dollars is."
Marcus stopped.
Evelyn stared at the phone.
"What missing forty-eight million?"
Arthur inhaled slowly.
"The emergency audit began twelve minutes ago."
"And?"
"Funds were moved from three Hart subsidiaries into a company called Vale Meridian Holdings."
Every eye went to Marcus.
He looked genuinely stunned.
"I own Vale Meridian."
Evelyn felt her stomach twist.
"You transferred forty-eight million dollars into your own company?"
"No."
"Arthur just said you did."
"I said I own the company."
Marcus pulled out his phone.
"I did not authorize that transfer."
Celeste looked at him.
"You told me Vale Meridian was where you were putting the hotel acquisitions."
Marcus turned slowly.
"What acquisitions?"
Celeste's confidence faltered.
"The private ones."
"I never told you that."
"Yes, you did."
"When?"
Celeste opened her mouth.
Then she stopped.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
Her face turned white.
Evelyn stepped closer.
"What does it say?"
Celeste held the phone against her chest.
"Nothing."
Marcus grabbed her wrist and pulled the screen into view.
May you like
The message contained only six words.
You were supposed to blame Evelyn.
