Chapter 9 - The Woman Behind the SignatureBy sunrise, Khloe had identified the notary.
A retired attorney named Marcus Bell.
He had notarized one document for my father nine years ago.
The fraudulent amendment had used his exact stamp.
We found him at his retirement home.
He opened the door, saw the document, and immediately sat down.
“That isn't mine.”
“You notarized this.”
“No.”
“You're sure?”
He looked at the seal.
“I would remember.”
Then he stared at the signature.
“This isn't your father's handwriting.”
I looked at Khloe.
“Who copied it?”
Marcus sighed.
“My former assistant.”
“Name?”
“Rebecca Shaw.”
Khloe searched the records.
Rebecca Shaw had worked for the Vance family office for eleven years.
Then, three years ago, she became legal counsel to Vivienne Vance.
My stomach turned.
“Where is she?”
Marcus gave us an address.
The penthouse was empty.
But the elevator security log showed someone had left twenty minutes earlier.
Rebecca was running.
Again.
Everyone ran.
Everyone knew something.
Except me.
At noon, the board meeting began.
I entered with Elena in my arms.
Julian followed.
The room went silent.
The independent board members stared.
The family members avoided my eyes.
I placed three folders on the table.
“Before you vote, you'll hear the truth.”
Julian's attorney stood.
“This meeting concerns trustee conflict.”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“This meeting concerns attempted fraud.”
I opened the first folder.
“Thirty-eight million dollars diverted through shell companies.”
Second folder.
“Two hundred and eighty million transferred to Zurich.”
Third.
“Forged documents designed to remove the lawful trustee.”
The board chairman leaned forward.
“Do you have proof?”
I nodded.
Khloe connected her laptop to the screen.
Transactions appeared.
Signatures.
Emails.
Security footage.
The room became silent.
Then Ethan's image appeared on screen.
Alive.
He was speaking in an airport lounge.
He had been recorded by Swiss authorities.
“I moved the money because Vivienne told me to.”
Gasps spread through the room.
Then he said the sentence that changed everything.
“She said Julian needed the trust because Clare's daughter would otherwise inherit.”
I looked at Julian.
He closed his eyes.
The chairman turned.
“Mr. Vance?”
Julian stood.
“I knew about the inheritance issue.”
The room erupted.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you attempted to manipulate the trust?”
Julian looked at me.
“Yes.”
My heart sank.
“At first.”
The word mattered.
“At first?”
He nodded.
“I thought controlling the trust would protect my position.”
“And Mia?”
Julian looked toward her.
“I thought giving the family a male heir would satisfy them.”
Mia started crying.
“But when Elena was born…”
He looked at my daughter.
“I realized they never intended to stop.”
The chairman stared at him.
“Then why continue?”
Julian whispered:
“Because by then, I was trapped.”
A board member slammed his fist down.
“You were not trapped. You were complicit.”
Julian nodded.
“I know.”
For the first time, he looked directly at me.
“I’m sorry.”
I felt nothing.
Then the conference room doors opened.
Rebecca Shaw walked in.
Everyone turned.
She carried a suitcase.
She walked to the table and placed it down.
“I have evidence.”
Khloe stood.
“What kind?”
Rebecca looked at me.
“Enough to destroy Vivienne.”
She opened the suitcase.
Inside were hard drives.
Bank records.
Audio recordings.
Photographs.
And one file.
A red folder labeled:
ELENA VANCE.
I opened it.
Inside was a medical report.
My eyes scanned the page.
Then stopped.
My daughter's blood type.
Her genetic markers.
Her full DNA profile.
Why would anyone need that?
I looked at Rebecca.
“Why did Vivienne order a DNA profile on my newborn?”
Rebecca's face turned pale.
“Because she didn't trust the hospital record.”
“What record?”
Rebecca whispered:
“Your daughter’s.”
Then she looked at Julian.
“She suspected the baby wasn't his.”
The room went silent.
Julian stared at her.
“What?”
Rebecca swallowed.
“Vivienne believed Clare had an affair.”
I felt as though the floor disappeared beneath me.
Not only had they tried to erase my daughter.
They had tried to erase the truth of who her father was.
And then Rebecca added:
“She ordered a second DNA test.”
Julian stepped forward.
“Where is it?”
Rebecca looked at me.
“There's something you need to see first.”
She slid another envelope across the table.
It contained the results.
I opened it.
May you like
And the first line made Julian stagger backward.
Probability of paternity: 0.00%.
