Chapter 15 - NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE
The flash drive contained eleven years of Harrington Commercial Group records.
Marcus Vale had been stealing long before Richard married Khloe.
Richard eventually discovered the theft.
Instead of reporting Marcus, he joined him.
Together, they built a system.
They inflated development costs.
Created fake vendors.
Moved investor funds.
Bought political influence.
When the company suffered losses, Richard began using Khloe's money to keep everything alive.
Vanessa joined later.
She handled acquisitions.
Then Richard began sleeping with her.
The affair gave Marcus another weakness to exploit.
Everyone was using everyone.
Harrison finally understood the structure.
Marcus created the machine.
Richard fed it.
Vanessa protected it.
Daniel leaked to it.
And Khloe had accidentally threatened to expose all of them.
Then the situation collapsed.
Daniel Mercer was arrested for obstruction.
The district attorney questioned the legality of several documents he had obtained.
Richard's attorneys argued that Harrison's evidence had been contaminated by a compromised employee.
The judge declined to extend the broad corporate freeze.
Millions began moving within hours.
Marcus disappeared.
Richard resigned as CEO and publicly blamed Vanessa.
Vanessa changed attorneys and began suggesting Richard had ordered her to confront Khloe.
Every alliance shattered.
At the hospital, Caroline stopped breathing.
Khloe watched doctors surround the incubator.
A nurse pulled her backward.
"No."
Khloe screamed.
"No, please."
Harrison held her as the medical team worked.
Seconds became unbearable.
Then Caroline cried.
A tiny sound.
Weak.
Furious.
Alive.
Khloe collapsed against Harrison.
That night, she told him she wanted to stop.
"Stop what?"
"All of it."
"The company."
"The money."
"The case."
Harrison watched her.
"I almost lost her."
"I know."
"I don't care if Richard keeps everything."
Harrison took her hand.
"Then we stop."
Khloe looked surprised.
"You'd do that?"
"You're my sister."
"Not my client."
"If you tell me to walk away, I walk away."
Khloe looked through the glass.
Caroline slept beneath a warm light.
For several minutes, Khloe said nothing.
Then she remembered something.
The gray folder in Richard's study.
A small handwritten note attached to the forged power of attorney.
Vanessa's handwriting.
R says pregnancy gives us the best window.
Khloe suddenly sat up.
"Harry."
"What?"
"I photographed the back of that note."
"Why?"
"Because there was an imprint."
Harrison stared at her.
"What kind of imprint?"
"A phone number."
The photographs were still in the cloud.
Harrison enlarged the image.
There it was.
Barely visible.
Ten digits pressed into the paper from something written on the sheet above it.
May you like
Ruiz traced the number.
It belonged to Marcus Vale.
