Chapter 3 - The Alliance of the Betrayed
Two days after Ethan’s dramatic ouster from Carter Holdings, Claire sat in a quiet, high-backed leather booth at an upscale restaurant in downtown Dallas. The lighting was low, providing a sense of privacy that she desperately needed. Across from her sat a woman she never expected to meet under these circumstances: Victoria Vance’s older sister, Julianna.
Julianna Vance was a prominent interior designer in the city, known for her sharp intellect and impeccable reputation. Unlike her younger sister, who had always chased wealth and status through wealthy men, Julianna had built her own business from scratch.
"Thank you for meeting me, Claire," Julianna said, her voice laced with a deep, genuine sincerity. "When I saw the headlines about Ethan’s sudden resignation, and then heard what happened from Veronica... I felt physically sick. I wanted to look you in the eye and tell you that I had absolutely no idea what my sister was doing."
Claire took a sip of her tea, studying the woman across from her. "I know you didn't, Julianna. Naomi did a full background check on everyone associated with Ethan over the past week. Your name was completely clean. In fact, it seems your sister was stealing from you as well."
Julianna let out a bitter sigh, leaning back against the leather booth. "Veronica has always been a parasite. She told me she was working as a high-level marketing consultant for Carter Holdings. She even asked me to invest fifty thousand dollars into a boutique design firm she claimed she was starting. Now I realize she was just using my business credentials to lend legitimacy to the shell company Ethan set up for her."
"She didn't just use your credentials," Claire said, sliding a manila folder across the table. "Our accountants found that a portion of the embezzled money from Carter Holdings was channeled through a corporate account that listed you as a silent partner without your signature. Ethan was setting you up as the fall person in case the SEC ever audited the marketing funds."
Julianna’s face turned white as she scanned the financial documents. "That miserable bastard... He was going to ruin my reputation, my business, everything I’ve worked for, just to protect his little girlfriend?"
"He doesn't care about anyone but himself, Julianna," Claire said, her voice dropping into a focused, determined tone. "Not me, not Veronica, and certainly not you. Right now, Ethan is trying to liquidate his personal real estate investments in Austin to hire a high-powered criminal defense team. He’s planning to claim that I authorized the wire transfers to Veronica as part of a tax mitigation strategy."
Julianna looked up from the folder, her eyes flashing with a cold, protective rage. "What do you need from me, Claire?"
"I need the access codes to the private server Veronica used for 'Vance & Associates.' I know she kept backups of all her text messages and emails with Ethan on a shared drive that you pay for. If we can prove he coached her on how to falsify those invoices, his tax mitigation defense evaporates, and the District Attorney can file immediate grand larceny charges."
Julianna didn't hesitate for a second. She reached into her purse, pulled out a sleek silver USB drive, and placed it firmly on the table between them.
"This contains the full digital mirror of her cloud backup," Julianna said. "I pulled it last night after she screamed at me for refusing to loan her money for a bail bondsman. Every text, every voice note, every hidden bank account number is on here. She kept everything because she was planning to blackmail Ethan herself once he secured the mansion loan."
Claire picked up the drive, feeling the cool metal in her palm. It was the final nail in Ethan’s corporate coffin.
"Thank you, Julianna," Claire said softly. "I promise you, your business will be fully protected throughout this process. My legal team will file an official declaration exonerating you from any involvement with the shell corporation."
May you like
Julianna offered a sad, weary smile. "Just promise me one thing, Claire. Make sure he never stands at a podium in this city again, pretending to be a good man."
"You have my word," Claire replied, her voice filled with an unshakeable, absolute certainty.
