Chapter 4 - The Hidden Paper Trail
An hour later, I sat in my corner office with my chief financial officer, Sarah, and my corporate attorney, David. Papers were spread across the mahogany table—bank statements, shell company registrations, and wire transfer logs.
“It’s worse than simple embezzlement, Maya,” David said, pushing a thick binder toward me. “Apex Strategy Group isn’t just a shell. It’s registered in Delaware under your mother-in-law’s maiden name: Evelyn Vance.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. The pieces were assembling into a disturbing picture.
“So Carter was siphoning funds from Lone Star Logistics directly into his mother’s account,” I murmured.
“Not just into her account,” Sarah corrected. “Look at where the money went after reaching Apex. Evelyn was purchasing residential properties in Florida—three townhomes, all paid in cash, registered under a trust where Carter is the sole beneficiary.”
They hadn’t just been insulting me; they had been systematically looting my life’s work to build a shadow estate behind my back. Evelyn’s arrogance in my kitchen wasn’t just spite—it was the toxic confidence of someone who believed she had already successfully robbed me blind.
“They thought I was too busy managing the operations to look at the regional accounts,” I said softly.
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“What’s the move, Maya?” David asked. “We can file criminal charges for grand larceny and wire fraud immediately.”
“Not yet,” I replied, a cool determination settling in my chest. “Evelyn is holding a charity luncheon tomorrow afternoon for her social club in Austin. She’s spent weeks boasting about her son’s success. I want the complete financial audit finalized by noon tomorrow.”
