Chapter 5 - OLIVIA'S ENVELOPE
Nathan looked sick when the bank manager placed Box 417 on the private viewing table.
The brass key turned with a soft click.
Inside were three sealed envelopes, a flash drive, a small black notebook, and a silver necklace I recognized immediately.
Olivia had worn it the night we met.
I touched it once, then stopped.
Nathan stared at the notebook.
"You knew this was here," I said.
"I knew she had collected something. I didn't know what."
The first envelope had my name.
I opened it.
Arthur,
If you're reading this, either I finally found the courage to tell you everything, or I ran out of time.
Do not trust anyone solely because they are family.
I looked at Nathan.
His jaw tightened.
The letter continued.
Olivia had discovered irregular payments from Carter Development to a consulting company called Vantage Meridian.
I knew the name.
Vanessa had worked there before I met her.
Except, according to Olivia, Vanessa hadn't been an employee.
She had owned twenty-five percent of it through a Delaware holding company.
My throat tightened.
I had met Vanessa at a charity gala nine months after Olivia died.
At least, that was the story Vanessa had given me.
Olivia's letter proved she had known Vanessa before her death.
Much earlier.
Nathan whispered, "Keep reading."
Olivia had begun tracing Vantage after finding seven unexplained payments totaling $1.84 million.
The invoices had been approved through the CFO's office.
Nathan's office.
I looked at him.
"You signed them."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"They came through approved vendor channels. I thought they were legitimate."
"You expect me to believe you moved nearly two million dollars without knowing where it went?"
"No. I expect you to hate me for not checking."
The second envelope contained copies of invoices.
Nathan's electronic authorization appeared on every one.
But beneath his approval was another authorization code.
Executive override: AC-01.
Mine.
I had never authorized those payments.
Someone had used my credentials.
The flash drive required a password.
The notebook held dates, names, transaction numbers, and several entries marked V.
Vanessa.
One entry stopped me.
V. threatened M. again. N. still doesn't understand.
Another:
If A finds out before I can prove it, V will make me look unstable.
I closed the notebook.
Nathan looked destroyed.
"I didn't know she meant Vanessa."
"But you knew Olivia was investigating."
"Only near the end."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Olivia asked me not to until she had proof."
My anger surged.
"She's dead, Nathan."
"I know."
His voice cracked.
That was the first moment I believed his regret.
The manager cleared his throat.
"There is one more envelope."
It was addressed to neither of us.
FOR DETECTIVE MARCUS REED—ONLY IF MY DEATH IS RULED ACCIDENTAL.
Olivia's death had been ruled an accident.
And Detective Reed had never received the envelope.
May you like
Someone had prevented the bank from notifying him.
📖 Olivia had prepared for the possibility of her own death, but Detective Reed revealed that somebody inside my family had stopped him from ever learning Box 417 existed. 👇
