Chapter 4 - A COUNTER-ALLIANCE IN THE SHADOWS
"There is a third party involved. Someone inside your foundation is feeding them information."By midnight, Alessandro had brought Evelyn to his private penthouse overlooking Central Park.
He had instructed his staff to find her a fresh change of clothes—a simple, elegant black silk dress that fit her perfectly. As she sat at the marble kitchen island, drinking a cup of chamomile tea, Alessandro’s security chief, Marco, walked into the room carrying a thick folder.
“Sir,” Marco said, nodding to Evelyn before turning to Alessandro. “We’ve intercepted the digital communications from Leonard Hartwell’s phone over the last four hours. He’s not just panicking about the marriage contract. He’s talking to someone else.”
Alessandro leaned against the counter. “Who?”
“An offshore entity based in the Cayman Islands,” Marco said, placing a spreadsheet on the counter. “Over the past six months, large sums of money have been transferred out of the Hartwell Hope Foundation’s charity accounts. Someone has been draining the food programs and emergency housing funds.”
Evelyn stood up so fast her tea spilled. “What? That’s impossible! I review those accounts every week. Every dollar is accounted for!”
“Look at the ledger codes, Miss Hartwell,” Marco said gently, pointing to the columns. “They aren't deleting the transactions. They are duplicating them. They’ve created a shadow set of books.”
Evelyn stared at the numbers. Her heart sank. She recognized the specific accounting codes. They were codes only two people had access to: herself and the foundation’s financial director, a man named Richard Vance—who also happened to be her mother’s brother.
“My Uncle Richard,” Evelyn breathed, covering her mouth. “He’s been helping them steal from the charity. That’s why they needed me gone. If the merger went through with me in charge, Alessandro’s auditors would have discovered the missing funds immediately.”
“Exactly,” Alessandro said. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the data. “They didn't just want the inheritance. They needed Sloane to marry me because Sloane wouldn't know—or care—how to read a financial ledger. She would have signed whatever they put in front of her, allowing the theft to continue undetected.”
“This is grand larceny,” Evelyn said, a wave of anger finally replacing her fear. “They aren't just hurting me. They’re stealing from the families who rely on those food programs.”
Alessandro stepped closer to her, his presence warm and grounding. “Then we give them exactly what they want. A public stage.”
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“What do you mean?”
“Tomorrow night is the annual Met Gala after-party, hosted by the Valdieri Group,” Alessandro said, a cold smile touching his lips. “Your parents and your sister have spent months begging for invitations. I think it is time we give them their front-row seats.”
