Chapter 8
Vincent faced the hardest decision of the entire investigation when the special committee asked for full access to Bellacorte Freight’s historical financial records.
Not fourteen months.
Five years.
The reason was simple.
If suspicious loss accounting had been used to manipulate valuation, investigators needed a baseline.
The problem was equally simple.
The Bellacorte companies had not always operated with modern discipline.
Legacy cash practices existed.
Related-party vendors existed.
Family-owned warehouses charged each other poorly documented fees.
Private security sometimes appeared inside legitimate company expense accounts.
None of that necessarily connected to Grant.
Some of it could create tax problems.
Some could create regulatory questions.
Some could embarrass Vincent personally.
His old family lawyer recommended narrowing the review.
Claire recommended the opposite.
“Open it.”
Vincent looked at her.
“You know what they’ll find.”
“I know what they may find.”
“My father’s systems.”
“Your company now.”
“Old related-party payments.”
“Yes.”
“Security expenses.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe worse.”
“Yes.”
Vincent walked toward the window.
Outside, Lila sat beside the pool with Dr. Mercer.
She had not entered the water yet.
She was dipping one foot over the edge.
Claire waited.
Vincent finally said:
“Grant counted on family privacy.”
“Probably.”
“He hid Everett’s notebook at my home because he assumed nobody would search a pool cabana.”
“Yes.”
“He assumed we would settle.”
“Yes.”
Vincent turned.
“Then open everything.”
Claire did not smile.
This was not victory.
It was risk.
Vincent signed the authorization allowing the independent committee and forensic auditors access to five years of relevant company and related-party records.
He also authorized disclosure of material findings to lenders, insurers, and authorities where legally required.
Then he did something his relatives considered worse.
He temporarily surrendered approval power over any proposed sale of Bellacorte Freight.
The independent board would decide.
If the investigation ultimately showed the division should be sold, Vincent could not personally block it just because he hated Grant.
If the auditors found misconduct by Vincent, they could act on that too.
Once the records left Bellacorte control, there was no realistic way to pull them back.
The family reacted exactly as expected.
Two relatives resigned from advisory roles.
One threatened litigation.
Another called Vincent disloyal.
Vincent listened.
Then ended the calls.
That night he sat beside Lila’s bed.
She was drawing in a new notebook.
Red this time.
Vincent looked at it.
She noticed.
“This one is mine.”
“Good.”
“No numbers.”
“Even better.”
Lila smiled.
Vincent did too.
May you like
The blue notebook had opened a door.
Now he had chosen not to close it simply because he might dislike what stood behind it.
