Chapter 4 - The Woman in Champagne.
By noon, Grant's attorney had already filed papers accusing Evelyn of moving company funds into an account under her own name.
The speed of it made Naomi curse under her breath.
"He planned the accusation before the transfer."
Evelyn stood at the conference room window, staring at traffic twenty stories below.
"He wanted me to look like the thief."
"He wanted you defensive enough to settle fast."
Naomi placed a copy of Grant's filing on the table.
It described Evelyn as emotionally unstable, financially reckless, and increasingly suspicious of her husband's professional relationships.
It also claimed she had entered the jewelry store to create a public scene.
There was no mention of the slap.
There was no mention of the other ring.
There was no mention of the blonde woman.
"He thinks he can rewrite yesterday."
"Most people like Grant don't need everyone to believe them."
Naomi closed the filing.
"They only need enough people to hesitate."
Evelyn's phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number contained a photograph of the champagne-dressed woman standing outside a hotel.
Another message followed.
I'M NOT YOUR ENEMY.
Evelyn showed Naomi.
Marcus traced the number to a prepaid phone, but the woman saved them the trouble of searching.
She walked into Naomi's office twenty minutes later wearing jeans, a black sweater, and large sunglasses.
Without the silk dress and jewelry-store lighting, she looked younger and more frightened.
"My name is Celeste Monroe."
Evelyn remained standing.
"I know who you are."
Celeste flinched.
"No, you know what he told you I am."
"You were shopping for a diamond with my husband."
"I was."
The admission landed without apology.
Evelyn's anger rose so quickly she had to grip the back of a chair.
Celeste looked directly at the bruise on her cheek.
"I didn't know he would hit you."
"That doesn't improve anything."
"I know."
Naomi stepped between them verbally before Evelyn could throw Celeste out.
"Why are you here?"
Celeste took a flash drive from her purse.
"Because Grant told me last night that if anyone asks, Evelyn has been stealing from Hartwell for two years."
Evelyn felt her stomach tighten.
Celeste continued.
"He said there are approvals with her signature, transfers from company accounts, and emails from her address."
"They're fake."
"I know that now."
Celeste placed the drive on the table.
"I worked in investor relations at Hartwell for fourteen months."
"Worked?"
"Grant fired me at six this morning."
The room went quiet.
Celeste gave a humorless laugh.
"Apparently, I stopped being useful the moment you saw us together."
Evelyn looked at the flash drive.
"What's on it?"
"Copies of payment ledgers I wasn't supposed to see."
Naomi reached for the drive, but Celeste pulled her hand back.
"There's a condition."
Evelyn's eyes hardened.
"You don't get conditions."
Celeste swallowed.
"Then you don't get the files."
Naomi waited.
Celeste finally spoke.
"Grant told me the account under Evelyn's name was only temporary."
She looked at Evelyn.
"He said the money would move again after the court blamed you for taking it."
"Where?"
Celeste slid the flash drive across the table.
"That is what I want you to find out."
Naomi inserted it into an isolated laptop.
The first folder contained dozens of spreadsheets.
The second contained scanned signatures.
The third contained photographs of Evelyn entering banks, restaurants, and office buildings she had visited over the past year.
Someone had been documenting her movements.
Then Marcus opened a folder labeled FALLBACK.
Inside was a draft press release dated three weeks earlier.
Its headline read: HARTWELL CAPITAL ANNOUNCES INTERNAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION INVOLVING EVELYN HART.
May you like
At the bottom of the file was a scheduled publication date.
Tomorrow morning.
