Chapter 5 - What Andrew Was Looking For
My handbag had never left my shoulder.
At least I thought it hadn’t.
Then I remembered.
Before dinner, I had placed it inside the bridal-style dressing room upstairs while helping Chloe fix a ribbon in her hair.
Ten minutes.
Maybe twelve.
Andrew knew.
Security footage from the estate confirmed it.
At 6:42 p.m., Andrew entered the room.
At 6:47, he left.
The promissory note remained inside my bag.
So what had he wanted?
Evelyn asked:
“What else were you carrying?”
Wallet.
Keys.
Phone.
Lipstick.
Emergency medication for Chloe’s allergies.
Then I remembered the envelope.
A week earlier, my father had given me original share certificates from an early Vance & Horizon holding company.
I intended to place them in our corporate vault Monday.
They had been in my handbag.
Now they weren’t.
The certificates represented 18% of a subsidiary holding three commercial properties.
Estimated value:
$11.6 million.
Andrew couldn’t legally transfer them without my endorsement.
Unless he forged that too.
We immediately flagged the shares.
Too late.
A transfer request had been submitted at 8:11 that morning.
Buyer:
Blue Ridge Heritage Holdings.
I searched the company.
Registered six months earlier.
Manager:
Patricia Vance.
My mother-in-law.
Now everything changed.
The dinner wasn’t only cruelty.
It was distraction.
Humiliate my daughters.
Make me emotional.
Make me leave.
Then move the assets.
But why perform the humiliation publicly?
Why create witnesses?
Rebecca supplied the answer when she finally agreed to a secure video call.
Her face appeared exhausted.
“Patricia needed you angry.”
“Why?”
“Because Andrew has been building a case that you’re unstable.”
My stomach turned.
“For what?”
“Custody.”
I couldn’t speak.
Rebecca continued.
“He’s been collecting videos of arguments. Messages. Anything that makes you look emotional.”
“I barely argue with him.”
“That’s why last night mattered.”
Patricia expected me to explode.
Scream.
Throw something.
Threaten her.
Instead, I quietly walked out.
Their performance failed.
Rebecca looked ashamed.
“I helped them at first.”
“Why?”
“Andrew told me the company was in trouble.”
Same lie he told Dad.
“He showed me debt schedules. He said you were hiding losses from the board.”
“So you forged my authorization?”
“Not initially.”
Initially.
That word mattered.
“What did you do?”
“I gave him old templates.”
“And later?”
She looked down.
“I copied the seal.”
I wanted to hate her.
Maybe eventually I would.
But right now I needed facts.
“Why did you stop?”
“Because I discovered the debts weren’t corporate.”
“What were they?”
She hesitated.
“Gambling.”
Andrew had lost millions through private betting syndicates and leveraged investments.
He borrowed to cover losses.
Then borrowed again.
Patricia helped.
When lenders became aggressive, they began pledging assets they didn’t own.
Mine.
Then Rebecca whispered:
“There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Andrew didn’t steal those share certificates for Patricia.”
“But her company filed the transfer.”
“Exactly.”
I frowned.
Rebecca leaned toward the camera.
“Lauren, Blue Ridge Heritage Holdings doesn’t belong to Patricia anymore.”
“Who owns it?”
“She transferred it six weeks ago.”
“To whom?”
Rebecca sent the filing.
I opened it.
New controlling owner:
Sophia Vance Irrevocable Trust.
My eight-year-old daughter.
I stared.
Why would Patricia steal my shares and place them under Sophia’s name?
Rebecca whispered:
“Because Patricia isn’t trying to take your company from you.”
May you like
“Then what is she doing?”
“She’s trying to hide it from Andrew.”
