Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Ledger
The psychological warfare intensified within the corporate office of the Blackwell Group the following Monday. While Ethan continued to make miraculous progress—now walking up to fifty steps without assistance—a new crisis appeared on Nathan's desk.
A whistleblower within the construction division had leaked a series of falsified financial ledgers to the federal regulatory boards, accusing Nathan of laundering union funds through his private estate accounts. The primary signature on the authorization forms belonged to me.
"It’s a frame-up, Nathan," Vance said, slamming a leather-bound folder onto the study desk where Nathan and I were reviewing Ethan’s latest medical charts. "The Lucchese family used Serena’s old login credentials to access the estate ledger before she was removed. They’ve backdated dozens of payments to a dummy corporation in Panama, using Vivian’s employee identification number."
I stared at the documents, my vision blurring with tears of pure panic. "I’ve never even seen these accounts! I don't know anything about Panama! Mr. Blackwell, I swear to you, I didn't sign these!"
"I know you didn't, Vivian," Nathan said smoothly, not a single trace of doubt in his gray eyes. He rose from his chair, walking over to where I sat, his large hand resting gently on my shoulder. The weight of his touch was incredibly grounding. "The Lucchese family thinks they can use the federal courts to freeze my personal assets, which would cut off the funding for our private security grid. They want to force me to leave the estate to handle the inquiry downtown."
"Then what do we do?" I asked, looking up into his fierce features.
"We play their game," Nathan said, a slow, lethal smile touching his lips. "Vance, contact the federal prosecutor. Tell him we are complying fully with the audit. Let them send their field agents to the estate tomorrow morning to review the physical files. We will give them exactly what they want to see."
"And what is that, Boss?" Vance asked, an intrigued look in his eyes.
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"The real ledger," Nathan murmured, his fingers tightening slightly against my shoulder, sending a thrill of warmth through my veins. "The one that shows every dollar the Lucchese family has paid to the city building inspectors over the last ten years. If they want a financial war in my house, we will dismantle their entire infrastructure before the sun sets."
He looked down at me, his expression softening into something incredibly intense. "You trusted me when my son was on your back, Vivian. Trust me now to protect your name. No one touches what belongs to me."
