Chapter 4 - THE SIGNATURE ON THE LEDGER
The hospital corridor smelled like antiseptic and coffee.
Arthur had been unconscious for forty minutes.
Doctors had taken him directly into intensive care.
Kelly and Leo were with a nurse in a private waiting room.
Luca arrived twenty minutes later.
He looked terrible.
His tie was crooked.
His hair was damp from the rain.
“Where is he?”
“In surgery.”
“What happened?”
“He collapsed.”
Luca looked at me.
“You were with him?”
“No.”
He looked relieved and terrified at the same time.
“Did he say anything?”
I thought about the phone call.
I decided not to tell him.
“Not much.”
Rachel approached.
“Luca, you need to sit down.”
He ignored her.
“What happened?”
“His blood pressure dropped suddenly.”
Luca leaned against the wall.
Then he whispered,
“I should have been there.”
I didn't answer.
Maybe he should have.
Maybe I should have.
Maybe none of us could change the years we had wasted.
Then a doctor came out.
“Family of Arthur Vance?”
Luca stepped forward.
“I’m his son.”
The doctor looked at us.
“He's stable for now.”
Luca closed his eyes.
“Can I see him?”
“Briefly.”
Before entering, Luca turned to me.
“Thank you for staying.”
I nodded.
He disappeared behind the doors.
Rachel stood beside me.
“You found the ledger.”
“Yes.”
“Did you read the final pages?”
“No.”
She looked nervous.
“Don't.”
I turned.
“Why?”
“Because I think someone has altered it.”
“Arthur's ledger?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Rachel hesitated.
“That's what I don't know.”
I took out my phone.
“I have photographs.”
“Good.”
She looked toward the ICU.
“Arthur was supposed to transfer the controlling shares into the trust yesterday.”
“Did he?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because he discovered a discrepancy.”
“What discrepancy?”
“A signature.”
I felt cold.
“Whose?”
Rachel looked at me.
“Yours.”
I stared.
“What?”
“There is a document authorizing the transfer of six million dollars from Vance Industrial to Bennett Strategic.”
“I never signed that.”
“I know.”
“Then someone forged it.”
“Yes.”
“Why would anyone forge my signature?”
Rachel lowered her voice.
“To make it look like you were involved.”
The pieces shifted.
The affair.
The money.
The photographs.
The threats.
Someone wasn't just stealing from Arthur.
Someone was building a case against me.
Luca returned.
He had tears in his eyes.
“He's awake.”
Rachel nodded.
“Did he say anything?”
“He asked for Jessi.”
I went inside.
Arthur looked smaller than before.
But his eyes were clear.
“Jessi.”
“I’m here.”
He squeezed my hand weakly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
“I should have protected you.”
“You tried.”
He looked toward the door.
“Did Rachel tell you?”
“Yes.”
“About the signature?”
“Yes.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
“The forgery isn't the worst part.”
“What is?”
“The person who forged it had access to my private files.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Then how do you know it wasn't Luca?”
Arthur looked at me.
“Because Luca is reckless.”
I almost smiled.
“He isn't patient enough.”
Arthur's voice was barely above a whisper.
“Whoever is doing this has been planning for months.”
He looked toward the window.
“Maybe years.”
I felt a chill.
“Arthur, what is Bennett Strategic?”
His expression changed.
“Richard Bennett's family investment company.”
“I know.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You don't know what it really is.”
“What?”
“It was created using money my father once owed.”
I stared.
“Richard's father?”
Arthur nodded.
“Richard's family has been connected to Vance Industrial since before Luca was born.”
“Then Chloe…”
“Chloe may not understand the full picture.”
“What about Luca?”
Arthur's eyes filled with disappointment.
“Luca believed Chloe loved him.”
My heart tightened.
“You think she doesn't?”
“I think Richard has been using my son.”
I stood frozen.
“Using him for what?”
“To gain control of the company.”
The answer explained too much.
Luca had been arrogant.
Selfish.
Greedy.
But perhaps he had also been manipulated.
Arthur continued.
“Luca thought he was marrying Chloe after my death.”
“He told her they would be together.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because Richard showed me their messages.”
I looked at him.
“He wanted you to know?”
“No.”
Arthur's voice hardened.
“He wanted me to believe my son was helping him.”
“Was he?”
“I don't know.”
I thought about the documents.
The signatures.
The six million dollars.
“What happens if Luca signed those transfers?”
Arthur looked away.
“Then he may have helped them without knowing what they were doing.”
I left the room.
Luca was sitting alone.
I sat beside him.
“Your father thinks Richard Bennett is using you.”
His face changed.
“What?”
“He thinks your affair with Chloe may be connected to the company.”
Luca stared at me.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“Did Richard ever ask you to sign documents?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Investment agreements.”
“Did he tell you Arthur approved them?”
“Yes.”
“Did you verify?”
Luca looked ashamed.
“No.”
“How many?”
“Six.”
I closed my eyes.
“Did you ever ask where the money went?”
“He said it was part of a restructuring.”
“Luca.”
“I know.”
His voice broke.
“I know how stupid that sounds.”
He looked at me.
“I thought I was finally taking control.”
“You were.”
“Not knowingly.”
“No.”
He swallowed.
“I never wanted to steal from Dad.”
I believed him.
That didn't erase his affair.
But it changed the shape of the problem.
Then Rachel came running down the corridor.
“Jessi.”
I stood.
“What?”
“We found the person who forged your signature.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
Rachel looked at Luca.
Then at me.
“The signature was created using an old scanned copy.”
“From where?”
“Your personnel file.”
I frowned.
“My personnel file?”
Rachel nodded.
“Someone inside Vance Industrial accessed it.”
“Who?”
She handed me a printed access log.
The name was at the bottom.
I stared.
I had expected Greg.
Maybe Luca.
Maybe someone connected to Richard.
Instead, it was someone I trusted.
Someone who had been with our family for years.
The access log belonged to—
Nora.
Our longtime household manager.
I couldn't speak.
Luca looked confused.
“Nora?”
Rachel nodded.
“She accessed Jessi's old records three times.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Jessi…”
“Nora has been with us for twelve years.”
“I know.”
“She raised our children when I worked late.”
“I know.”
“She knows everything about our family.”
Rachel looked at me.
“Exactly.”
I felt sick.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Nora.
“Mrs. Sterling, I’m sorry. Please don’t trust anyone at the hospital.”
A second message arrived.
“I found something in Luca’s office.”
Then a photograph appeared.
It showed an old red leather notebook.
On its cover was Arthur's handwriting.
THE ORIGINAL VANCE LEDGER.
Underneath the photograph, Nora had written:
“Richard Bennett has been looking for this for years.”
Then another message appeared.
“Your husband already gave it to him.”
I looked at Luca.
May you like
He stared back.
And for the first time since the affair was exposed, I saw genuine terror in his eyes.
