Chapter 4 - The Password That Shouldn't Exist.
Emma stared at the forensic report.
The authorization code was unmistakable.
It had once been hers.
Every senior executive at Holloway Medical Supply had a unique digital credential.
Emma's had been disabled shortly after her pregnancy became high-risk.
At least, she had believed it had.
Daniel placed his tablet beside her bed.
"The transaction was approved using your credentials at 2:14 in the morning."
Emma shook her head.
"I was in this hospital."
"We know."
"I was unconscious."
"We know that too."
Charles's expression turned dangerous.
"So someone impersonated her."
Daniel nodded.
Emma looked toward her babies.
Noah's oxygen level flickered on the monitor before stabilizing again.
Her heart tightened automatically.
Even when discussing millions of dollars, every beep from the incubators mattered more.
"Who had access to my password?" she asked.
Daniel answered carefully.
"Grant could have requested a reset through the company's administrator."
Emma thought about the internal systems.
"The administrator is Peter Lang."
Daniel nodded.
"Peter approved three credential resets associated with your account."
"When?"
"The first occurred six weeks ago."
Emma frowned.
"The second?"
"Two days before your hospitalization."
"And the third?"
Daniel's voice softened.
"Nine hours after your emergency C-section."
Emma felt physically sick.
Someone had used her identity while she was unconscious.
Charles stood.
"I want Lang interviewed."
Daniel nodded.
"Investigators are already trying to locate him."
"Trying?"
"He didn't report to work today."
Emma looked at Daniel.
"Where is he?"
"Nobody knows."
Across town, Grant was asking the same question.
He slammed Peter Lang's personnel file onto his desk.
"Find him."
His assistant hesitated.
"His phone is disconnected."
"Then call his wife."
"They separated last year."
"His mother."
"She lives in Arizona."
Grant stared at the young assistant until she backed away.
"Just find him."
When she left, Vanessa shut the office door.
"You need to calm down."
Grant laughed bitterly.
"That's interesting advice from the woman who moved millions of dollars without telling me."
Vanessa folded her arms.
"You moved money too."
Grant's face hardened.
"What are you talking about?"
"The Cayman account."
Silence.
Vanessa stepped closer.
"You thought I wouldn't discover it?"
Grant said nothing.
"You were going to take the money and disappear."
"No."
"Don't insult me."
Vanessa pointed toward her stomach.
"You were going to abandon me while I was pregnant."
Grant lowered his voice.
"I was protecting assets."
"For who?"
"For us."
She laughed.
"There is no us in an account with only your name on it."
Grant walked to the window.
Below them, reporters had begun gathering outside the office building.
News of the regulatory investigation had leaked.
His company's name was already trending online.
Vanessa watched him.
"Emma did this."
"No."
Grant looked back.
"Whitmore did this."
Vanessa shook her head.
"You still don't understand her."
Grant's eyes narrowed.
"And you do?"
"I spent months around her."
Vanessa had originally met Emma at a charity fundraiser.
She had acted friendly.
She volunteered at prenatal events.
She complimented Emma's marriage.
Then she started sleeping with Grant.
"Emma notices everything," Vanessa said.
Grant scoffed.
"She never noticed us."
Vanessa's expression became strange.
"Are you sure?"
Grant stared.
"What does that mean?"
Before Vanessa could answer, his phone rang.
The caller was unknown.
Grant answered.
"Hello?"
A frightened male voice came through.
"Mr. Holloway."
Grant straightened.
"Peter?"
Vanessa's eyes widened.
Grant turned away.
"Where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because investigators came to my apartment."
Grant lowered his voice.
"What did you tell them?"
"Nothing."
"Good."
"No."
Peter's breathing shook.
"Nothing is good."
Grant looked toward Vanessa.
"What are you talking about?"
"You said nobody would get hurt."
Grant froze.
Vanessa moved closer.
Peter continued.
"You said the components were safe."
Grant's hand tightened around the phone.
"They were supposed to be."
"I saw the incident reports."
Grant glanced toward the office door.
"Stop talking."
"Two premature babies nearly died in Maryland."
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Peter's voice cracked.
"And now they're tracing the authorization code back to Emma."
Grant whispered.
"Because you used the wrong account."
"You told me to."
Grant's face drained.
Vanessa stared at him.
Peter continued.
"I saved the messages."
Grant stopped breathing for a moment.
"What messages?"
"All of them."
"Peter."
"I'm sorry."
Grant spoke slowly.
"Listen to me."
"No."
Peter's voice steadied.
"I spent three years doing whatever you asked because I thought you were protecting the company."
"Where are you?"
"I'm going to tell them everything."
The call ended.
Grant immediately tried calling back.
The number was already unreachable.
Vanessa backed away from him.
"You told Peter to use Emma's credentials?"
Grant looked at her.
"It was supposed to make the transaction look legitimate."
Her eyes widened.
"You tried to frame your wife."
Grant's expression twisted.
"Don't pretend you're innocent."
Vanessa grabbed her purse.
"I'm leaving."
He blocked the door.
"No, you're not."
"Move."
"We survive this together."
She stared at him.
May you like
Then she whispered the truth Grant had never expected to hear.
"I've already hired my own attorney."
