Chapter 5 - The Ledger of Secrets
By two o'clock in the morning, Julian’s grand study had turned into a command center.
Julian sat behind his desk, three monitors casting a cool blue light across his features. Beside him stood Vance, his head of personal security—the one man in the firm whose loyalty belonged entirely to Julian, independent of the corporate board.
"I verified the off-shore accounts, Mr. Hartwell," Vance said quietly, inserting an encrypted drive into the primary terminal. "It aligns with Miss Ellis's account. Four years ago, three days after your supposed rescue in Switzerland, Arthur Rourke’s holding firm authorized a three-million-dollar wire transfer to a private trust in Panama. The funds were funneled to the county clerk in Maine who managed vital records."
Julian stared at the screen. The electronic paper trail was clear and unforgiving.
"They expunged the digital record of our marriage license," Julian said, his voice flat and deadly.
"Yes, sir," Vance confirmed. "And the medical trust covering Miss Ellis and her daughter was quietly routed through an anonymous subsidiary controlled directly by Arthur Rourke's executive assistant—a leverage point meant to keep her quiet and dependent."
Julian leaned back in his leather chair, resting his chin on his hands. The fragmented memories that had haunted his dreams for years were suddenly locking into place with terrifying clarity.
He remembered the salt spray on the porch of that coastal cottage. He remembered the sound of Mara’s laughter as they prepared simple meals together. He remembered purchasing the silver hummingbird charm from a local craftsman, bending the wing himself to fix a loose clasp.
He had loved her. He had married her. And his financial partners had stolen a year of his life to secure a merger.
"Where is Arthur Rourke right now?" Julian asked slowly.
May you like
"He arrived at the estate an hour ago, sir," Vance replied. "He’s in the West Wing guest suite. He came to oversee the final documentation for the port lease merger before the morning press conference."
Julian stood up, adjusting his cuffs. "Wake him."
