Chapter 4 - The Poison in the Books
At 7:00 AM the following morning, Ethan met with his private investigator and forensic accountant, Marcus Vance, in his corporate office downtown.
"Ethan," Marcus said, sliding a thick file across the desk. "It’s worse than Daniel just being a bad uncle."
Ethan opened the binder.
"While you were overseas closing the $90 million deal," Marcus explained, "Daniel forged your signature on an authorization memo. He transferred four million dollars from Caldwell Freight’s primary reserve fund into a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands."
Ethan closed his eyes. "Apex Logistics?"
"Precisely," Marcus confirmed. "Apex Logistics is Daniel's private company. He was planning to bankrupt Caldwell Freight by sabotaging your shipping schedules, forcing you into default, and then buying out your assets at pennies on the dollar using the money he stole from you."
"And the children?" Ethan asked.
"Getting Noah and Lily out of the house wasn't just about saving money," Marcus added grimly. "Daniel wanted to make you look like an unfit, negligent father. He’s been documenting your long business trips and was preparing to file for legal guardianship of Noah and Lily. If he gained guardianship, he would control the trust funds Claire left for them—worth another twelve million dollars."
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Ethan’s hands clenched into tight fists until his nails bit into his palms.
"He didn't just want my company," Ethan said softly. "He wanted to destroy my entire life."
