Chapter 5: The Hidden Accounts
Charlotte's breathing became shallow.
"There must be some mistake."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the panic behind it was impossible to hide.
Adrian stood motionless.
"I hope there is."
Emily tapped the screen of her tablet before looking back at him.
"The audit committee completed a preliminary review ten minutes ago."
"Go on."
"They found multiple transactions connected to the estate's operating budget."
Charlotte quickly interrupted.
"I don't know anything about the company's accounting."
Emily calmly continued.
"Over the past three years, more than two million dollars was charged to employee welfare, maintenance, and household operations."
Several executives exchanged puzzled looks.
"So?" Charlotte asked.
Emily looked directly at her.
"The money never reached those accounts."
The ballroom fell silent once again.
Adrian spoke quietly.
"Where did it go?"
Emily opened another file.
"Luxury jewelry."
She swiped the screen.
"Designer clothing."
Another page.
"Private vacations."
Another.
"Personal renovations to the east wing of the mansion."
Each new entry caused another murmur to spread through the room.
Charlotte shook her head.
"My husband approved every expense."
"Perhaps he did," Adrian replied. "Or perhaps someone signed on his behalf."
Charlotte's eyes widened.
"I would never forge my husband's signature."
"No one has accused you of that."
Yet.
The unspoken word hung heavily in the air.
Across the ballroom, Sophie quietly watched everything unfold.
None of it felt real.
Only an hour earlier she had believed she would lose her job.
Now some of the city's most powerful executives were standing in silence while the woman who had controlled every moment of her working life struggled to explain herself.
The nurse noticed Sophie's uneasy expression.
"You should sit down."
"I'm fine."
"No," the nurse said gently. "You're still in shock."
Sophie looked toward Adrian.
"Why is he doing this?"
The nurse smiled softly.
"Mr. Bennett has one rule."
"What rule?"
"He believes that character is revealed by how people treat those who have nothing to offer them."
Sophie lowered her eyes.
"No one has ever stood up for me before."
The nurse placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Someone finally did."
Charlotte suddenly laughed.
The sound startled everyone.
"This is absurd."
She walked confidently toward the center of the ballroom.
"You all know me."
She gestured toward the guests.
"We've attended charity galas together."
She pointed toward several business leaders.
"Our families have known each other for years."
Then she looked directly at Adrian.
"And you're willing to believe a maid over me?"
Adrian answered without hesitation.
"No."
Charlotte smiled.
"I believe evidence."
Her smile vanished.
He nodded toward the security monitor.
"The video."
Then toward Emily's tablet.
"The financial records."
Finally, toward the doctor.
"The medical report."
"I haven't made a single decision based on anyone's social status."
His calm voice carried through the room.
"I've based every decision on facts."
Charlotte searched the room again.
No one came to her defense.
Just then, the ballroom doors opened once more.
A middle-aged man in a gray business suit hurried inside, carrying a leather briefcase.
He looked exhausted, as though he had rushed there without stopping.
Emily recognized him immediately.
"Mr. Reynolds."
Adrian nodded.
"You're here."
Thomas Reynolds was the chief internal auditor for Ashford Holdings.
He stopped in front of Adrian.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."
"What did you find?"
Thomas opened the briefcase and removed several thick folders.
"I'm afraid the situation is worse than we expected."
Charlotte's hands began to tremble.
Thomas placed the files on the banquet table.
"We started reviewing estate expenses after noticing unusual spending patterns six months ago."
He opened the first folder.
"Initially, we believed someone had simply exceeded the maintenance budget."
Another folder.
"But then invoices began disappearing."
Another.
"Several employee payroll adjustments couldn't be explained."
Sophie looked confused.
"What does payroll have to do with me?"
Thomas turned toward her.
"Miss Carter..."
He hesitated.
"I'm sorry to ask this."
"Ask what?"
"Were you ever promised a raise?"
Sophie's eyes widened.
"Last year."
"And did you receive it?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No."
Thomas looked around the ballroom.
"According to company records..."
He opened another document.
"She received two raises."
The room became eerily quiet.
Sophie frowned.
"That's impossible."
Thomas handed the paperwork to Adrian.
"Her salary was officially increased by twelve percent."
Sophie stared at the papers.
"I never saw that money."
Thomas nodded.
"Neither did several other employees."
Charlotte immediately protested.
"I have nothing to do with payroll."
Thomas calmly replied,
"Payroll changes for estate employees required approval from the estate administrator."
Charlotte's face turned pale.
She had personally insisted on holding that position.
Adrian slowly flipped through the documents.
Page after page.
Expense reports.
Payroll records.
Electronic approvals.
Bank transfers.
Finally, he stopped.
His eyes settled on one page.
"Emily."
"Yes, sir?"
"Call the legal department."
Charlotte stepped forward.
"Wait."
"No."
Her voice cracked.
"Please."
For the first time all evening...
She sounded afraid.
"What do you want?" Adrian asked.
Charlotte looked around the ballroom.
Every guest was watching.
Every camera phone was lowered.
No one seemed interested in gossip anymore.
They wanted the truth.
"I..."
She swallowed.
"I can explain."
Adrian closed the folder.
"I'm listening."
Charlotte hesitated.
Then she lowered her voice.
"I didn't think anyone would ever notice."
Those words echoed through the ballroom.
Sophie felt a chill run down her spine.
Charlotte hadn't denied it.
She had admitted it.
Not everything.
But enough.
Adrian remained expressionless.
"Continue."
Charlotte wiped away a tear.
"It started with small amounts."
No one interrupted.
"The company had so much money."
She looked down at the marble floor.
"I convinced myself it didn't matter."
Thomas quietly closed his briefcase.
"It always starts that way."
Charlotte looked back at Adrian.
"I'll repay every dollar."
Adrian's expression never softened.
"This stopped being about money..."
He glanced toward Sophie.
"...the moment you believed another human being had less value than your reputation."
Before Charlotte could respond, Emily's tablet rang again.
She answered immediately.
After listening for several seconds, her face changed.
She looked at Adrian.
"Sir..."
"What is it?"
"It's Mr. Daniel Brooks."
"The Chief Operating Officer?"
"Yes."
"What does he have to report?"
Emily took a slow breath.
"He just spoke with Mr. Ashford."
Charlotte looked up instantly.
"My husband?"
Emily nodded.
"He was on a flight and just landed."
Charlotte's eyes filled with hope.
Finally.
Someone was coming who would defend her.
But Emily's next sentence shattered that hope completely.
"He says he's on his way..."
Emily paused.
"...and he wants to apologize to Miss Carter personally before he says another word to his wife."
Charlotte felt the room spin around her.
May you like
For the first time in her marriage...
Her own husband had chosen someone else's side.
