Chapter 6 - The Promise in the Empty Office
Elise moved closer to Vanessa.
Her voice became almost sympathetic.
“Grant cares about you. He just knows leadership isn’t healthy for you anymore.”
“And you’ll help him?”
“I’ll help the foundation.”
Vanessa looked at Caroline’s portrait.
“Will you become president?”
Elise laughed softly.
“Not immediately.”
It was not a denial.
Vanessa forced herself to look defeated.
“Grant said tomorrow would make me feel special.”
For one second, amusement appeared in Elise’s eyes.
“He does enjoy surprises.”
Then Elise left.
Vanessa waited until the hallway was silent before calling Naomi.
“She believes I’m surrendering.”
“Good. Keep it that way.”
Evelyn Price joined the call.
Evelyn had chaired the board for nine years and had once been Caroline’s cardiologist. She did not trust easily, especially when accusations involved a founder’s spouse.
But the forged statement changed her expression.
“Grant requested permission to announce a strategic alliance during his speech,” Evelyn said.
“With whom?”
“A nonprofit called CardiaBridge International.”
Vanessa had never heard of it.
Naomi searched the corporate registry.
CardiaBridge had been created eleven months earlier.
Its mailing address belonged to a private office suite in Wilmington.
Its registered consultant was Elise Marlow’s brother.
The organization had no public medical programs, no published audits and no employees listed beyond two contractors.
Yet Grant planned to transfer the foundation’s international grant portfolio to it.
The portfolio was worth twenty-four million dollars.
Evelyn went silent.
“He told the board CardiaBridge had operated overseas for five years.”
“He lied,” Vanessa said.
Naomi’s voice sharpened.
“Do not accuse him yet. If he presents the partnership publicly, claims it was properly reviewed and produces restricted documents to support it, we establish intent.”
Vanessa thought of the silver suitcase.
Grant was not carrying records for an audit.
He was carrying them to legitimize a shell organization.
The airport kiss had exposed the affair.
May you like
The suitcase had exposed the motive.
👉 By the time Vanessa reached the airport, she already suspected Grant planned to steal the foundation—but she still did not know the silver case contained the one document he could never legally replace.
