Chapter 7 - RACHEL MONROE TAKES THE CHAIR
At 2:00 p.m., Rachel walked into the DeLuca Holdings boardroom wearing the same black dress she normally wore beneath her maid’s apron.
She had refused the designer suit Marco offered.
“If they’re going to underestimate me,” she said, “I’d rather help them.”
Gabriel smiled.
“That sounded like Antonio.”
Rachel looked at him.
“I’ll decide later whether that’s a compliment.”
Twelve executives sat around the table.
Most had never spoken directly to Rachel.
Two had asked her for coffee during previous meetings.
One of those men now stood quickly when she entered.
“Ms. Monroe.”
Rachel sat in Roman’s chair.
“No coffee today?”
The executive went red.
Marco turned away to hide a smile.
Rachel placed the trust documents on the table.
“Roman has been detained under allegations that everyone in this room should already know are false.”
General counsel Samuel Crane cleared his throat.
“We cannot make that assumption.”
Rachel looked at him.
Crane.
Legal.
Walter had said Vincent controlled someone inside the legal team.
Rachel remembered seeing Crane speaking privately with Cassandra at parties.
“What assumption are you making?” she asked.
“That Mr. DeLuca may have acted independently.”
“So you believe Roman kidnapped Walter?”
“I believe the evidence requires investigation.”
Walter entered.
Every face changed.
Rachel said, “Conveniently, the kidnapped man is available.”
Walter sat beside her.
Crane recovered quickly.
“Mr. Bennett’s current presence does not establish—”
“Were you kidnapped by Roman?” Rachel asked.
“No.”
“Did he imprison you?”
“No.”
“Did Cassandra Bell?”
Walter looked around the room.
“Yes.”
Rachel turned back to Crane.
“Investigation complete enough for you?”
Crane’s face tightened.
This was the first time Rachel saw it.
Not annoyance.
Fear.
She knew.
She leaned back.
“You received forty-two million dollars through Atherton Legal Holdings over fourteen years.”
Crane stopped breathing.
Gabriel had discovered the transactions that morning.
Nobody else in the room knew.
Rachel continued.
“Would you like me to explain where Atherton sends that money next?”
Crane stood.
“This meeting is over.”
“No.”
Rachel’s voice remained quiet.
“You’re fired.”
“You cannot fire general counsel without board authorization.”
Rachel slid Antonio’s trust agreement toward him.
“As temporary controlling trustee, I can.”
Crane stared.
Rachel finally understood something about Roman.
Why he rarely shouted.
When power was real, volume was unnecessary.
Security escorted Crane out.
Minutes later, Rachel received another message from Cassandra.
YOU HAVE THREE HOURS.
Her mother’s photograph appeared again.
This time Elaine was on a private jet.
Marco traced the aircraft.
Registered to a shell company in Wisconsin.
Flight plan filed for Toronto.
Rachel’s stomach twisted.
“They’re moving her.”
Gabriel looked at his watch.
“We intercept before takeoff.”
“Roman first.”
Everyone turned.
Rachel explained.
Vincent wanted control.
As long as Roman remained jailed, Rachel had leverage.
The moment Vincent realized she would not sign, he could produce more evidence.
Or kill Elaine.
Or both.
Rachel needed Roman free before making her next move.
Walter smiled.
“You have a plan.”
“I have a terrible plan.”
“Those are often Roman’s favorite.”
At the county detention center, Lieutenant Price entered Roman’s interview room.
Roman sat alone.
“No lawyer?” Price asked.
“I have seventeen.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It is.”
Price sat.
“Walter Bennett appeared on television twenty minutes ago.”
Roman nodded.
“Rachel.”
Price looked surprised.
“You trust her with your company?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve known her how long?”
“Long enough.”
Price studied him.
“You understand how strange that sounds?”
Roman leaned back.
“Daniel, you arrested me for kidnapping a man who just held a press conference saying I rescued him.”
Price sighed.
“The prosecutor is reviewing it.”
“Your evidence was fabricated.”
“We’re discovering that.”
“By Samuel Crane.”
Price’s eyes shifted.
Roman noticed.
“You know Crane.”
Price said nothing.
Roman’s expression changed.
“Daniel.”
Price looked down.
“My department received the files through a federal contact.”
“Name.”
“I can’t.”
“Then Vincent owns him.”
Price exhaled.
“Roman, this is bigger than your family.”
“It always is.”
Meanwhile Rachel drove toward the airport.
Not with the brass key.
With a forged copy.
Marco had insisted on twenty men.
Rachel allowed six.
Too many would scare Vincent into leaving.
At the hangar, Cassandra waited alone.
Rachel stepped from the car.
“You look different without a serving tray,” Cassandra said.
“You look different without Roman pretending to love you.”
Cassandra’s smile tightened.
“I never needed love.”
“I noticed.”
“Key.”
“My mother.”
A hangar door opened.
Elaine appeared.
Hands bound.
Vincent stood behind her.
Rachel kept her face still.
“Let her come to me.”
Vincent smiled.
“After the transfer.”
Rachel held up documents.
“You want DeLuca Holdings?”
“I want what Antonio stole from me.”
“Your brother removed you because you betrayed him.”
“He chose Gabriel over blood.”
Gabriel’s voice came from behind Rachel.
“No. He chose anyone over you.”
Vincent’s face changed.
Gabriel stepped into view.
For the first time the two men faced each other in eighteen years.
“You should be dead,” Vincent said.
“You tried.”
Rachel noticed Cassandra slowly move her hand toward her purse.
Marco appeared from behind a support beam.
“Don’t.”
Cassandra stopped.
Vincent pulled Elaine closer.
“Sign.”
Rachel looked at her mother.
Elaine shook her head.
“Don’t.”
Rachel signed.
Gabriel stared.
“Rachel—”
She handed Vincent the document.
He examined it.
Then laughed.
“Smart girl.”
Elaine closed her eyes.
Vincent shoved her forward.
Rachel caught her.
Vincent began backing toward the jet.
Cassandra followed.
Then Vincent’s phone rang.
His smile disappeared.
He answered.
“What?”
A voice shouted through the receiver.
Vincent looked at Rachel.
“What did you do?”
Rachel smiled.
“For someone who spent eighteen years stealing money through shell companies, you really should read documents more carefully.”
The transfer papers did not give Vincent control.
They authorized an external forensic audit.
Every account.
Every subsidiary.
Every transaction.
And Rachel’s signature had triggered automatic disclosure to federal regulators.
Vincent tore the documents.
Too late.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
Cassandra drew her gun.
Marco moved.
Vincent grabbed Cassandra’s wrist.
“Not here!”
They ran toward the jet.
Rachel held Elaine.
Police vehicles entered the runway.
For one glorious second, Rachel believed it was over.
Then the jet’s engines started.
The aircraft moved.
“They’re getting away!” Elaine shouted.
But another vehicle blocked the runway.
A black SUV.
The rear door opened.
Roman stepped out.
No handcuffs.
Rachel stared.
Roman stood directly in the path of the aircraft.
Vincent’s jet stopped.
Roman looked through the windshield.
Then his phone buzzed.
A message arrived.
He opened it.
His expression changed.
Rachel walked toward him.
“What?”
Roman showed her.
A photograph of Walter entering a downtown building.
Timestamp: five minutes earlier.
Rachel frowned.
“Why is that important?”
Roman zoomed in.
The building belonged to the DeLuca Foundation.
Walter carried Antonio’s missing ledger.
And beside him walked Lieutenant Daniel Price.
May you like
Roman whispered:
“We found the law-enforcement partner.”
