Chapter 8
Alexander’s advisers wanted the fight contained.
Settle the civil claim.
Pay Veronica something reasonable.
Cancel the Maison Privé discussions.
Replace the household staff structure.
Move on.
That was the easy route.
Rebecca gave him the harder one.
“Authorize a full independent review.”
“Of what?”
“Household procurement, staffing, vendor access, digital authorizations, your executive office’s involvement, and every Maison Privé interaction.”
Alexander understood immediately.
It would not stop with Veronica.
The Vaughn household used corporate security systems.
Drivers were sometimes paid through legitimate business entities.
Estate vendors overlapped with company suppliers.
His world was not cleanly divided.
An independent forensic review could find misconduct having nothing to do with Sofia.
Tax issues.
Improper reimbursements.
Employees doing personal work while on corporate payroll.
Things powerful families often described as normal until accountants called them something else.
Rebecca said, “Once I authorize outside access, you don’t get to tell them which truth counts.”
Alexander stared at the paperwork.
That sentence felt familiar.
Different families.
Same disease.
Control the room.
Control the records.
Control what outsiders see.
He thought about Sofia kneeling beside the stool.
Veronica had succeeded because she assumed household authority would protect her.
Alexander signed.
Rebecca looked at him.
“You understand this could cost you.”
“Yes.”
“Potentially a lot.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Alexander looked toward the door.
Sofia was somewhere downstairs with Evelyn.
“Because if my daughter grows up believing powerful people investigate themselves only when it’s convenient, then Veronica taught her something after all.”
The outside firm began work Monday.
Within forty-eight hours, they found four fake instructions sent to household staff using addresses designed to resemble Alexander’s office.
The requests did not all involve Sofia.
One redirected Evelyn.
One canceled Rachel’s replacement.
One disabled the camera.
And one authorized Maison Privé representatives to enter the estate two days after the wedding.
Two days after.
May you like
Before Alexander had signed any contract.
Someone had expected the takeover to be complete by then.
