Chapter 3 - Inside Parker Creative SolutionsThe downtown warehouse district was a maze of red-brick buildings and fading industrial signs. Evelyn parked two blocks away from 414 Industrial Parkway, keeping her head down behind tinted sunglasses.
The building housing Parker Creative Solutions looked far more opulent than Ryan had ever described. While he had always painted a picture of a struggling, humble startup fighting to stay afloat, the exterior featured sleek tinted glass, designer landscaping, and a row of luxury vehicles parked in the private lot—including a brand-new matte-black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
Evelyn walked up to the glass double doors. A sleek digital keypad flashed red as she tried the handle, but luck was on her side; a delivery courier pushed his way out from the inside, balancing a stack of heavy boxes, holding the door open with his foot.
"Thank you," Evelyn murmured, slipping past him before the heavy door clicked shut.
The interior took her breath away. Gone were the cramped, dusty offices Ryan loved to complain about. This was a sprawling, high-tech creative agency. Polished concrete floors reflected designer track lighting. Young employees sat at high-end workstations, clicking away at dual-monitor setups. Expensive minimalist art hung on the exposed brick walls.
"Can I help you?"
Evelyn turned to see a sharp-dressed young woman with a sleek blonde bob and a clipboard walking toward her. Her name badge read Chloe Miller – Operations Director. Chloe's eyes scanned Evelyn’s sensible walking shoes and faded floral blouse with an unmistakable look of corporate condescension.
"I’m looking for Ryan," Evelyn said, keeping her voice remarkably steady.
Chloe sighed, tapping her pen against her clipboard. "Mr. Parker is currently recovering at Northwestern Memorial. If you're here about a vendor invoice, accounting isn't in until Monday. Drop your card at the front desk."
"I'm not a vendor," Evelyn replied, stepping closer. "I'm his mother."
Chloe froze. The condescension in her eyes flickered for a fraction of a second, replaced by a sudden, nervous dart of her pupils toward the back offices. "Oh. Right. Mrs. Parker. He... he talks about you often."
"Does he?" Evelyn’s voice dropped an octave, carrying an edge that made Chloe take an involuntary half-step back. "Tell me, Chloe, does he talk about how he pays for all of this?" She gestured broadly to the multi-million-dollar office setup, the expensive computers, and the luxury car outside.
Chloe forced an uncomfortable laugh. "Well, between our high-ticket corporate clients and venture capital funding—"
"Venture capital?" Evelyn interrupted, stepping right up to the younger woman. "Or my retirement fund? Let's check the books, Chloe. Pull up the corporate registry. I want to see who owns the primary shares of Parker Creative Solutions."
Before Chloe could stammer a protest, a sharp voice rang out from the hallway behind them.
May you like
"Chloe? Who’s making a scene out here?"
A tall, impeccably dressed man stepped into the open lobby. It wasn't Ryan, but Evelyn recognized him instantly from family dinner photos. It was Marcus Vance—Ryan’s business partner, best friend, and, as Evelyn was about to discover, the architect of her complete financial destruction.
