Chapter 5 - The transfer that failed
“Freeze everything.”
My CFO hesitated.
“We already did.”
“Who initiated it?”
“That’s the problem.”
Pause.
“The authorization appears to have come from you.”
Marco began backing away.
I noticed.
“So it’s forged.”
“We’re verifying.”
“Send everything to counsel and preserve every access log.”
“Already happening.”
I ended the call.
Marco forced a laugh.
“Business problem?”
“You know exactly what problem.”
Valerie headed toward the gate again.
My security manager stepped into her path.
I raised a hand.
“Don’t detain her.”
Valerie smiled triumphantly.
I continued.
“But preserve all security footage and note when everyone leaves.”
Her smile disappeared.
Marco whispered something to her.
Then he looked at me.
“This doesn’t change anything about Leo.”
“Actually, Leo changes everything about Leo.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means neither of us gets to manufacture his identity to win an argument.”
My attorney, Megan Price, happened to be among the guests.
I called her over.
Marco groaned.
“Of course your lawyer is here.”
“She’s Leo’s godmother.”
Megan listened to the recording.
Then examined the envelope Marco wanted me to sign.
After less than a minute, she looked up.
“Andrea, don’t sign this.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
“This isn’t merely separation paperwork.”
Marco interrupted.
“She doesn’t understand.”
Megan ignored him.
“It contains acknowledgments regarding parentage, property access, and temporary corporate voting authority.”
I stared.
“Corporate authority?”
“Yes.”
There it was.
Marco needed my signature.
The birthday humiliation had been pressure.
Valerie’s motherhood claim had been leverage.
Create chaos.
Terrify me about losing Leo.
Push documents in front of me.
Get a signature while I was emotionally overwhelmed.
Except they had underestimated two people.
Me.
And a five-year-old boy who had secretly pressed Record.
Then Megan reached the final page.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
She turned the document toward me.
The signature block already contained my name.
Not blank.
Signed.
I stared.
“I didn’t sign that.”
Marco said nothing.
Megan looked at him.
“Where did this signature come from?”
Valerie suddenly ran.
Not walked.
Ran.
Straight toward the mansion.
May you like
And that was when I remembered the locked drawer in my home office.
The drawer containing my original signature samples, corporate seal, and Leo’s sealed birth records.
