Chapter 5: The Man She Buried in Her Past
“Former fiancé?””
Daniel repeated the words as if saying them aloud might make them less real.
Vanessa was still on the phone.
“Yes,” she said.
“His name is Adrian Pierce.””
I recognized the surname.
Adrian Pierce had been a rising real estate developer in the city until his business collapsed two years earlier. The newspapers had reported allegations of financial misconduct, but the case had never resulted in a conviction.
Daniel knew him professionally.
They had attended the same industry events, though Daniel had never considered him a friend.
“Brielle told me she'd never been engaged before,” Daniel said.
“She lied.””
“How long were they together?””
“Nearly four years. They were supposed to get married, but Adrian called it off after he discovered she'd been moving money out of his business accounts.””
Daniel went completely still.
“Did he report her?””
“He tried. But the money went through several companies, and he couldn't prove she had done it. His own company was already struggling, so the investigation went nowhere.””
“Why would she give him money now?””
“I don't know. But Marissa told me Adrian had been threatening to expose something about Brielle.””
Daniel glanced at the documents spread across the lounge table.
“Expose what?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“She said Brielle had been involved in something much worse than the missing money.””
The call ended a few seconds later, after Vanessa promised to send copies of every document she had.
Daniel remained motionless.
I pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
“You need to contact your lawyer.””
“I know.””
“And your bank.””
“I know, Claire.””
His voice was sharper than he intended.
I let the silence settle.
After a moment, he looked at me.
“I'm sorry.””
“Don't apologize to me. I'm not the person who needs to decide what happens next.””
He glanced toward Evelyn.
His mother had been watching us quietly.
“Mom, I'm going to make this right.””
She shook her head.
“You can't undo what happened tonight.””
“I can tell everyone the truth.””
“That would help.””
“And I'll make sure no one ever accuses you of this again.””
Evelyn looked down at her hands.
“Daniel, I don't need everyone to love me. I need you to stop making decisions because you're afraid someone you love will leave you.””
He absorbed that in silence.
Then he stood.
“I'm going to the office.””
“At this hour?”” I asked.
“Martin is meeting me there. We'll preserve the records and contact the bank's fraud department.””
“I'm coming with you.””
He frowned.
“Why?””
“Because someone has been using your company to move money, and I want to understand how far this goes.””
He studied me.
“Claire, you don't owe me anything.””
“I know.””
“Then why help?””
I looked toward Evelyn.
“Because your mother shouldn't have to watch you destroy your life while pretending everything is fine.””
He didn't argue.
Twenty minutes later, we were standing inside Daniel's office building.
Most of the lights were off. The receptionist had gone home, and the elevators hummed softly as we stepped onto the executive floor.
Martin Hale was waiting beside the conference room, his tie loosened and his laptop open.
He was a careful man in his early fifties, the sort who checked a spreadsheet three times before approving a reimbursement.
Tonight, he looked furious.
“I've locked down the vendor portal,” he said.
“No new payment requests can be processed until we complete a review.””
Daniel placed the printed documents on the table.
“Tell me exactly what you found.””
Martin adjusted his glasses.
“The eighty-five-thousand-dollar transfer was entered as a consulting fee. The vendor had a tax identification number, a registered business address, and a bank account. At first glance, everything appeared legitimate.””
“Who approved it?””
“Your executive credentials were used.””
“Did I approve it?””
Martin hesitated.
“The system says you did.””
Daniel leaned forward.
“I was in Chicago that day.””
“I know. That's why I checked the login records.””
Martin turned his laptop around.
The access log showed a login from Daniel's home network at 9:17 a.m.
But Daniel had been in a hotel conference room in Chicago at that time. He remembered because he'd presented a contract proposal to a room full of investors.
“Someone used my credentials remotely,” Daniel said.
“Possibly. The account also had a registered secondary device.””
“What device?””
Martin clicked through the records.
Then his expression changed.
“A mobile phone ending in 4418.””
Daniel stared at the number.
It was Brielle's.
“She had access to your authentication app?”” Martin asked.
Daniel slowly nodded.
“Months ago, my phone broke while we were traveling. She helped me restore my accounts on a temporary device.””
Martin leaned back.
“Then she may have retained access.””
The room became painfully quiet.
Daniel had given Brielle his trust in a dozen small ways, never imagining that each one might become an opening.
“Can we trace the money?”” he asked.
“We can trace where it went next. The consulting company transferred most of it into two separate accounts within forty-eight hours.””
“Whose accounts?””
“One belongs to the company's director. The other belongs to a private account registered under a different name.””
“Which name?””
Martin read from the screen.
“Adrian Pierce.””
Daniel stood so abruptly that his chair rolled backward.
“She stole from my company to pay her former fiancé?””
“That's what the transaction records suggest,” Martin replied.
“But we need the bank to confirm the beneficiary details before drawing conclusions.””
Daniel paced toward the window.
Outside, the city glowed beneath a thin layer of rain.
“I gave her everything,” he said.
“I paid for the wedding. I helped her launch her event business. I even offered to invest in her future.””
Martin said nothing.
Daniel turned back.
“What about the forty-two thousand dollars?””
“The venue payment was routed through Briar Event Services, then reimbursed from another account. The paperwork is unusual, but we haven't confirmed whether it represents theft or improper accounting.””
“Could it be connected to Adrian?””
“Possibly.””
Martin opened another file.
“There are also three attempted transfers from the company account that failed because they exceeded the daily limit.””
Daniel froze.
“How much?””
“Thirty thousand dollars each.””
“When?””
Martin checked the timestamps.
“The first was yesterday morning. The second was yesterday afternoon. The third was today.””
“Today?””
“At 4:12 p.m.””
That was less than an hour before the wedding ceremony.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Brielle had been trying to move money while she was preparing to marry him.
“Did she know the transfers failed?””
“We can't tell yet.””
Daniel's phone rang.
An unfamiliar number appeared.
He answered cautiously.
“Daniel Mercer.””
A man's voice came through.
“Mr. Mercer, my name is Adrian Pierce. I believe we need to talk.””
Daniel's eyes met mine.
“How did you get this number?””
“Brielle gave it to me months ago. I've been trying to reach you, but she told me you weren't interested in hearing from me.””
“What do you want?””
“To warn you.””
Daniel's grip tightened around the phone.
“About the money you received from my company?””
There was a brief silence.
“So you've found the transfers.””
“You mean the money Brielle stole from me?””
“Mr. Mercer, I didn't steal anything from you. I received repayment for a debt.””
“A debt?””
“Brielle owed me money.””
“How much?””
“More than eighty-five thousand dollars.””
Daniel stared at the transaction records.
“You expect me to believe she borrowed that much from you?””
“No. I expect you to understand that she has been moving money between men for years, and sooner or later, someone always pays for it.””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Why are you calling me now?””
“Because I received a message from her this afternoon. She said if I didn't return the money, she would make sure I went to prison.””
Daniel's face went pale.
“She threatened you?””
“She sent me a document claiming I had authorized the transfers myself. If she gives that document to investigators, she can make it look as though I helped her steal from you.””
Daniel looked at Martin.
The CFO was already typing notes.
“Do you have proof?”” Daniel asked.
“Yes.””
“What kind?””
“A recording of Brielle explaining exactly how she planned to use your company accounts.””
Daniel stopped pacing.
“Send it to my lawyer.””
“I will. But first, you need to know why she chose you.””
Daniel's voice dropped.
“Why?””
“Because your company is worth far more than mine ever was.””
Adrian paused.
“And because she believed marrying you would give her access to something she couldn't get from me.””
“What?””
“A board seat. Influence over your financial decisions. Eventually, control of the company if you were ever declared incapable of managing it.””
Daniel's mouth went dry.
“She wanted control?””
“She told me that once she became your wife, you would trust her with everything.””
The call ended after Adrian promised to send the recording.
For several seconds, Daniel stared at his phone.
Then he turned to Martin.
“Find every document Brielle has ever accessed. Every account, every authorization, every contract.””
Martin nodded.
Daniel looked at me.
“She wasn't planning to build a life with me.””
I didn't answer.
He swallowed hard.
“She was planning to take over mine.””
Before I could respond, his phone chimed.
A message from Adrian appeared.
*I'm sending the recording now. Listen carefully to the last thirty seconds. That's where she reveals what she intends to do after the wedding.*
Daniel pressed play.
Brielle's voice filled the conference room, clear and confident.
“Once Daniel signs the final papers, his mother won't be a problem anymore. And if he ever tries to leave me, I'll make sure he loses everything.””
The recording continued.
Then Brielle laughed.
“And by the time he realizes what I've done, it'll be too late.””
Daniel stopped the audio.
His face had gone completely still.
“What final papers?”” I whispered.
He looked at Martin.
The CFO slowly opened another folder.
Inside was a draft agreement transferring partial control of Daniel's company to a new holding entity.
May you like
The document had been prepared three weeks earlier.
And Daniel's name was already printed beneath the signature line.
