Chapter 2 - The Company Card
Daniel called his chief financial officer before Rebecca reached the lobby.
No answer.
He called again.
Then his assistant.
Then the company controller.
Nothing.
Chloe followed him through the apartment.
“What did she mean about the company?”
Daniel ignored her.
He opened his laptop.
Mercer Global Logistics.
The company he had spent twenty-seven years building.
Or at least that was the story he told people.
Daniel founded the business.
Rebecca funded the first year.
Her family trust guaranteed the first warehouse lease.
Her father introduced the first major client.
Her college friend designed the original supply-chain software.
Rebecca had never asked for public credit.
Daniel gradually forgot there was credit to give.
Now he logged into the corporate account.
ACCESS RESTRICTED.
He stared at the screen.
“No.”
He tried again.
Same message.
Chloe looked over his shoulder.
“Why can’t you get in?”
Daniel called the bank.
After ten minutes of identity verification, a representative transferred him to corporate security.
Then the answer came.
His transaction authority had been suspended pending internal review.
“By whom?”
Daniel demanded.
The representative hesitated.
“Under a board resolution.”
Daniel stood so quickly the chair fell backward.
“I am the chairman.”
“Sir, I can only tell you what the record reflects.”
Daniel hung up.
Chloe looked nervous now.
“What did you do?”
He turned on her.
“Nothing.”
“That is not what Rebecca implied.”
“Rebecca is angry.”
“She is trying to scare us.”
Us.
That word sounded strange now.
Only an hour earlier, Chloe had thought she was entering Daniel’s world.
Now she was discovering how little of that world actually belonged to him.
The building manager returned at 6:15.
He brought boxes.
Daniel almost threw him out.
Then Anna Price reminded him that movers would arrive at seven.
Chloe stood near the window.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Where is your other house?”
He stared at her.
“What other house?”
“The Hamptons place.”
Silence.
She had seen photographs.
Family summers.
Pool.
Ocean.
Daniel had referred to it as our beach house.
But Rebecca’s family trust owned that too.
“What about the Aspen condo?”
Trust.
“The lake property?”
Rebecca personally.
Chloe’s face changed with every answer.
“You told me you owned all of that.”
“I said we owned it.”
“You said you.”
Daniel became angry.
“What difference does it make?”
Chloe actually laughed.
“A very big one tonight.”
Then Daniel’s phone finally rang.
His CFO.
Marcus Grant.
Daniel answered immediately.
“What the hell is happening?”
Marcus’s voice was quiet.
“Daniel.”
“The board is meeting tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“You need to come.”
“Marcus.”
“What did Rebecca do?”
There was a pause.
Then Marcus said.
May you like
“This isn’t about what Rebecca did.”
“It’s about what we found you doing.”
