Chapter 7
Anthony recognized the document.
Three years earlier.
A broad asset-security authorization.
He had signed it after threats were made against the gallery.
It allowed Victor to relocate high-risk pieces without waiting for individual approval.
Not sell them.
Not substitute them.
But move them.
Anthony had given Victor the door.
Victor had widened it.
Laurel watched her husband read the authorization.
His breathing slowed.
“You trusted him.”
Anthony looked up.
“Yes.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“So did you.”
Laurel did not answer.
The words hit both of them.
Anthony had trusted Victor with authority.
Laurel had trusted Victor with suspicion.
Marcia had trusted Victor with old support funds.
Three intelligent adults.
One shared blind spot.
Victor.
Then Anthony looked toward Peter and the other relatives who had taken envelopes.
“Why did you need them?”
Victor shrugged.
“You already know.”
“No.”
Anthony stepped closer.
“You stole before tonight. You had access before tonight. Why buy votes now?”
Victor’s eyes flickered.
Anthony saw it.
Something had changed recently.
Something made Victor desperate enough to move against Laurel and Anthony publicly.
Laurel’s hand tightened around her phone.
“I know.”
Everyone looked at her.
She swallowed.
“Three weeks ago I met Marcia.”
Marcia’s head snapped toward her.
Anthony stared at his wife.
“You what?”
Laurel’s eyes filled again.
“I wanted to stop this privately.”
Anthony’s face became unreadable.
Victor smiled.
Now he had something.
Laurel continued before he could use it.
“I showed Marcia the photographs.”
Marcia laughed sharply.
“You showed me selected photographs.”
“I showed you what I had.”
“You demanded I step down.”
“I asked you to suspend yourself from the gallery review.”
“You told me my name would be in the report.”
“Because your signatures were on transfers.”
Marcia’s breathing became heavier.
Anthony looked between them.
“You met without telling me.”
Laurel nodded.
“Yes.”
Anthony’s fingers curled.
She saw it.
Her voice softened.
“I knew what you would do if I brought you an accusation against Marcia and Victor without complete proof.”
“What would I do?”
A long silence.
Laurel looked at Mia.
Then back at him.
“You would make the entire family afraid before you knew who was guilty.”
The sentence landed harder than any insult that night.
Anthony said nothing.
Laurel’s voice trembled.
“I was trying to avoid exactly this room.”
Broken displays.
Bodyguards.
Locked doors.
Blood on Victor’s mouth.
Anthony looked away.
He could not call her wrong.
Then Marcia reached into her evening bag.
She removed printed pages.
“I received these the day after Laurel threatened me.”
Laurel frowned.
“What are those?”
Emails.
From Laurel’s private address.
The messages appeared to discuss removing Marcia from the family board permanently.
One line was particularly damaging.
Once Marcia is gone, Anthony will finally stop listening to the old guard.
Laurel stared at it.
“I never wrote that.”
Marcia’s eyes hardened.
“It came from your account.”
The digital header was real.
The device identifier was real.
For the first time, even Laurel had no immediate explanation.
May you like
Victor folded his arms.
And the room began turning against her again.
