Chapter 7: The Voice Behind the Lie
“Lock the elevators,” Julian ordered.
Marcus held up his hands.
“Are you accusing me of stealing an envelope in a dark room?”
Samuel pointed at Daniel.
“He took it.”
Daniel’s leather folder was clutched against his chest.
Marcus snapped, “Don’t answer him.”
Margaret faced the security camera above the door.
“This room has battery backup.”
Daniel’s hand tightened around the folder.
A security officer entered.
“Place it on the table, sir.”
“This contains privileged material.”
Margaret held out her hand.
“Then you won’t mind opening it yourself.”
Daniel looked at Marcus.
Marcus gave one small shake of his head.
That was enough.
The officer took the folder and found Samuel’s sealed envelope beneath the legal papers.
Daniel stepped back.
“Marcus told me it contained stolen records.”
“You work for me,” Marcus said.
“Do not put this on me.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You said there were no server backups.”
Marcus moved toward the door.
Julian blocked him.
“Sit down.”
“You cannot detain me.”
“No,” Margaret said, “but building security can hold you until officers review the recording.”
Marcus turned toward me.
“This is your doing.”
“No.
This is what happened when people stopped protecting you.”
Samuel opened the envelope.
“The server logs show Marcus’s administrator account resetting Evelyn’s password after she left the marital home.”
Grace read the next page.
“Fourteen minutes later, her account created the first false email.”
Chloe gripped the back of her chair.
“And the transfers?”
Samuel pointed to a column.
“Approved through Marcus’s terminal, then reassigned to Evelyn’s identity.”
Marcus laughed.
“Old logs can be manipulated.”
“Which is why I had them certified by an outside forensic firm.”
For the first time, Marcus had no immediate answer.
Then he looked at Chloe.
“If I go down, you go with me.”
“I know.”
“You signed six transfers.”
“I know.”
“You bought the Weston house with that money.”
Chloe removed the engagement ring from her finger and placed it on the table.
“Sell it.
Sell the house too.”
“You’ll leave with nothing.”
She looked at me.
“Evelyn left with less.”
Marcus reached into his jacket.
The security officer stepped forward.
“Keep your hands visible.”
Marcus slowly withdrew the memory card.
“Everyone seems to want this.”
Chloe inhaled sharply.
He held it between two fingers.
“It contains recordings, but Chloe neglected to mention her own voice is on them.”
“I’m not asking to be protected,” she said.
Marcus snapped the card in half.
No one moved.
Then Chloe opened her laptop and pressed a key.
Marcus’s voice filled the room.
“Use Evelyn’s credentials.
If anyone asks, she designed the system.”
His face emptied.
Chloe looked at him.
“The card automatically uploaded every recording.”
Another recording played.
“Move the pension funds before Rhodes completes due diligence.
Once the acquisition closes, their auditors will inherit the problem.”
Margaret pushed back her chair.
“The acquisition is terminated.”
Marcus lunged for the laptop, but the security officer caught his arm and forced it behind him.
“This proves nothing!” Marcus shouted.
“Chloe edited it.”
Grace turned her screen toward the room.
“The cloud provider has already verified the original timestamps.”
Two officers entered behind security.
Marcus looked at me as they approached.
“You think Julian married you because he loved you?” he said.
“Ask him why Rhodes Capital first contacted your law firm.
Ask him how long he knew you had that drive.”
My breath caught.
Julian’s face changed.
Marcus smiled as the officers led him through the doorway.
May you like
Before disappearing, he called back, “Tell her, Julian.
Tell your wife why you really found her.”
