Chapter 7
The company audit changed everything.
For the first time, Marcus couldn't dismiss the allegations as family drama.
The investigators had documents.
Electronic records.
Communication logs.
Financial transfers.
And an original video showing him discussing the plan before our wedding.
Angela organized the evidence carefully.
She reminded us that suspicious documents were not automatically proof of every possible offense.
But the records raised serious questions about authorization and disclosure.
The outside development partner was notified that the shareholder consent was disputed.
The Harbor Point transaction was suspended pending review.
No consulting advance would be paid.
I felt relief for the first time in weeks.
But it didn't last.
The next morning, Marcus filed a statement through his attorney accusing Isaiah of interfering with our marriage and attempting to manipulate company decisions.
He claimed I had agreed to the Harbor Point deal.
He claimed the signatures were valid.
He claimed the video was misleading.
I stared at the document.
"He's still lying."
Patricia sat beside me.
"Then we respond with evidence."
I looked at her.
"Will anyone believe him?"
"Some people may. That's why we don't build our case around opinions."
I nodded.
But privately, I was terrified.
Marcus had always been charming.
He knew how to make strangers feel comfortable.
He remembered birthdays.
He complimented people.
He could turn a room full of skeptical executives into supporters within minutes.
I had watched him do it.
And I had fallen in love with that charm.
Now I wondered how many people would believe him simply because he sounded confident.
The answer began to emerge during a meeting with the development partner.
Representatives from Harbor Point's investment group agreed to review the disputed consent documents.
Angela attended with Isaiah and me.
The lead representative, Franklin Moore, looked troubled.
"We were told all shareholder approvals had been obtained."
I stared at him.
"By whom?"
"Mr. Carter."
"Devin?"
He nodded.
I looked toward Angela.
She asked whether the company had received any authorization directly from me.
Franklin reviewed his records.
"No."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Then why did you accept the document?"
He looked uncomfortable.
"It came through the designated project consultant."
Angela remained calm.
"We'll need the complete communication history."
He nodded.
"We'll cooperate."
Then he revealed something unexpected.
"The proposed consulting fees were not in the first version of the deal."
Isaiah sat forward.
"What?"
Franklin opened an earlier proposal.
The original redevelopment plan involved ordinary project management costs.
But the later version added Crestline Strategic Partners as a mandatory consultant.
The fees were enormous.
I looked at the numbers.
"Who requested the change?"
Franklin hesitated.
Then he said, "Denise Bellamy."
My heart sank.
Our aunt hadn't simply signed a document.
She had helped insert the consulting company into the agreement.
I looked toward Isaiah.
He closed his eyes.
We both knew what this meant.
Denise had actively participated.
She wasn't an innocent person tricked into signing something she didn't understand.
At least, not entirely.
We still needed to establish exactly what she knew.
But the documents were troubling.
That afternoon, I called her.
She answered immediately.
"Nia."
Her voice sounded exhausted.
"We need to talk."
I took a breath.
"Then tell me why you asked Harbor Point to hire Crestline."
Silence.
Finally, she said, "Because they offered valuable consulting services."
"What services?"
"Strategic planning."
"What planning?"
She became irritated.
"Nia, you wouldn't understand every technical detail."
I closed my eyes.
That sentence sounded painfully familiar.
Marcus had said it.
Devin had said it.
Now Denise was saying it.
Everyone seemed convinced I was too emotional or inexperienced to understand the business my mother had left me.
"Aunt Denise, I may not manage every property, but I'm a trained architect. I understand development contracts."
She sighed.
"Your mother spoiled you."
The words hit me like a slap.
I stared at the phone.
"What?"
"She always made you believe you were special."
I felt my throat tighten.
"Mom believed in me."
"Exactly."
Her voice became bitter.
"She believed in you and Isaiah. She never understood how much I sacrificed."
I closed my eyes.
"Then why didn't you tell her?"
Denise laughed without humor.
"Because Evelyn never listened."
I thought about my mother.
She could be stubborn.
She could be demanding.
She could make mistakes.
But she had never treated Denise like an outsider.
At least, not in front of us.
I took a breath.
"Even if Mom hurt you, that doesn't justify deceiving us."
Denise went silent.
Then she whispered, "Marcus said this was my chance."
My stomach tightened.
"Your chance for what?"
"To finally have something that belonged to me."
I looked at the family photographs on my desk.
Denise had thirty percent of the company.
She had a generous salary.
She had influence.
But apparently, none of it had ever felt like enough.
"Did you know Marcus owned Crestline?"
She hesitated.
"Yes."
"Did you know Devin owned it?"
"Yes."
"Did you know they intended to pay themselves millions?"
Her voice cracked.
"I knew there were fees."
I stared at the wall.
"Did you authorize someone to use my signature?"
She began crying.
"Nia, I thought you'd agree once the wedding was over."
My heart broke.
"You thought my marriage made my consent unnecessary."
She didn't answer.
I wiped my cheeks.
"Aunt Denise, I love you."
Her crying grew louder.
"But I won't protect you from the consequences of what you did."
I ended the call.
For a long time, I sat quietly.
Then Renee entered the room.
She had been helping me sort through wedding gifts.
She looked at my face.
"Denise?"
I nodded.
Renee hugged me.
"I'm sorry."
I began crying.
"Why does everyone think love means they can take whatever they want from me?"
She held me.
"Because some people confuse your kindness with permission."
I leaned against her.
"I don't want to become cruel."
"You don't have to."
She pulled back.
"You can remain kind and still say no."
Those words stayed with me.
The following week, the board held an emergency meeting.
Denise was removed from her management role while the disputed transactions were investigated.
Her shareholder rights were handled separately under the company's governing documents.
The company adopted temporary controls requiring independent verification for major agreements.
Isaiah and I also supported a review of related-party transactions.
I didn't celebrate Denise's removal.
She was my aunt.
She had helped raise me.
But protecting the company meant protecting employees whose livelihoods depended on honest leadership.
Then Angela called with another discovery.
The audit team had traced a small payment from Crestline to an outside document services firm.
That firm had prepared the disputed electronic consent forms.
The records identified the person who requested the documents.
It wasn't Denise.
It wasn't Devin.
It was Marcus.
I sat very still.
Then Angela said, "Nia, the document services firm has preserved its communications."
My heart pounded.
"What do they show?"
She took a breath.
"Marcus asked them to prepare shareholder consent forms before any approvals had been obtained."
I closed my eyes.
"And?"
"He provided electronic signature images for you and Isaiah."
I felt sick.
The evidence was no longer just a suspicious document.
It was a trail leading directly to my husband.
The man who had laughed while humiliating me.
The man who claimed everything was a joke.
The man who told me I was too emotional to understand business.
May you like
He had apparently spent months preparing to use my name without my permission.
And now, finally, the truth was catching up with him.
