Chapter 7 - The Secret Ledger
Adrian looked up, his breathing shallow and rapid. "What... what are you talking about? My father owns thirty percent of the board!"
"Not anymore," Claire said quietly, her steady voice cutting through his panic. She reached into her bedside drawer and pulled out a small black USB drive, setting it on the tray table.
Adrian’s eyes locked onto the drive, his skin turning a ghostly shade of white.
"You thought I was just sleeping while you stayed up late working on your laptop in our study," Claire said, looking at him with quiet disappointment. "You thought I never noticed the transfers you were making from Hale Financial's primary client accounts into offshore shells in the Cayman Islands."
"You... you spied on me?" Adrian stammered, backing away.
"I protected myself," Claire corrected firmly. "When you started bringing Vanessa to company dinners and lying about your late meetings, I realized who you truly were. I downloaded the ledger six weeks ago and handed it directly to Uncle Charles."
Celeste gasped, turning to her son with utter disbelief. "Adrian... you embezzled from the company? From our own family firm?"
"I did it for us, Mom!" Adrian yelled, cracking under the pressure. "The firm was drowning in debt! I needed capital to keep us afloat!"
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"You didn't do it for the firm, Adrian," Eleanor Vance chimed in, checking her notes. "The offshore accounts were registered exclusively under your name and Miss Cross's name. You were preparing to drain Hale Financial completely and abandon your mother and wife to take the fall."
👉 Read PART 8 to see how Celeste reacted when she realized her own son betrayed her!
