Chapter 17 - The Deal Behind Marcella’s Deal
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Preston Vale opened the packet.
Inside were emails.
Wire instructions.
Draft merger agreements.
And one private side letter Marcella had never seen.
Harold read it first.
His expression darkened.
“What?”
Dominic asked.
Harold handed him the page.
The proposed buyer had agreed to pay Marcella a substantial consulting fee after the merger.
That part she knew.
What she didn’t know was buried in the financing structure.
Within thirty days of closing, most Vercetti real estate would be pledged as collateral.
Within ninety days, several properties could be sold.
Including the estate.
Including Evelyn’s home.
Marcella stared at Vale.
“You told me headquarters would remain.”
Vale shook his head.
“My partner told you that.”
“You approved the deal.”
“I approved a transaction based on representations that Evelyn’s transfer was voluntary.”
Marcella’s voice rose.
“That’s not what Owen said.”
There.
A name.
Whitmore wrote it down.
“Owen who?”
Vale answered.
“Owen Carter.”
The other senior partner.
“He appears to have arranged the shell company that paid the doctor, the notary, and Mr. Bennett.”
Thomas muttered a curse.
Marcella stared at the paperwork.
For the first time, she looked less like a villain and more like someone realizing she had been cheated while cheating someone else.
Dominic felt no sympathy.
“You were going to steal from my mother.”
Marcella looked up.
“They were going to steal from me.”
Evelyn’s reply came instantly.
“Now you understand how it feels.”
Marcella flinched.
Vale continued.
“Our internal audit found messages between Carter and Marcella discussing control of the family vote.”
Whitmore asked, “Did Marcella know about the planned asset sales?”
“We haven’t found evidence of that.”
Marcella grabbed onto the sentence.
“You see?”
Dominic looked at her.
“It doesn’t help you.”
“I didn’t know!”
“You knew enough.”
“You think that makes me the same as him?”
“No.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“It makes you the person who opened the door.”
Marcella’s eyes filled.
“Julian was supposed to have half of everything.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
“He was your son!”
“And he had exactly what he asked for.”
Marcella struck the table with her palm.
“Then why did he stay?”
Everyone went quiet.
Evelyn stared at her.
“Stay where?”
“In this family.”
The words came out broken.
“Why didn’t he leave with me?”
There it was.
The oldest wound underneath all the greed.
Julian had chosen his family too.
Not over Marcella.
But Marcella had experienced every bond he had with anyone else as rejection.
She wanted absolute loyalty.
Absolute control.
Absolute proof that she mattered most.
Evelyn’s voice softened.
“Because love is not ownership.”
Marcella looked away.
Police entered quietly from the hallway.
Whitmore spoke to one of them.
Then turned toward the room.
“Owen Carter has been detained for questioning.”
Marcella sank into a chair.
Dominic thought the night was finally ending.
Then Harold looked at the Founder’s Amendment again.
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“There’s still a board issue.”
Marcella slowly raised her head.
Harold pointed to another clause.
“The emergency reversion removes Marcella’s votes.”
“Good.”
“But it requires the founder to designate the permanent trustee within twenty-four hours.”
Dominic looked at Evelyn.
“And if she doesn’t?”
Harold answered.
“The controlling shares must be sold.”
The room fell silent.
Evelyn had won her family back.
Now, by the next midnight, she would have to decide who deserved to hold it.
May you like
👉 Marcella’s takeover was dead, but the final choice now belonged to Evelyn — and even Dominic wasn’t certain she would choose him.
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