Victor called again a few minutes later.
I moved toward a quiet corner of the lobby.
Sophia stayed beside me.
"Viv, I need you to understand something."
His voice was lower now.
"Dominic's company isn't as independent as he has made you believe."
I closed my eyes.
"What does that mean?"
"It means the business has been relying on financial arrangements connected to our family for years."
I looked at the guests walking past us.
Nobody seemed to notice that my entire marriage was changing during a phone call.
"How many years?"
"Since before the company became profitable."
I leaned against the wall.
I remembered those years.
Dominic had come home one evening looking exhausted.
He had told me that a major investor had withdrawn.
He was worried about payroll.
He had spent the night sitting at the kitchen table with spreadsheets.
I had wanted to help.
He had refused.
He said he needed to solve the problem himself.
I had respected that.
Now I wondered who had actually solved it.
"Did you arrange those investments?"
Victor didn't answer immediately.
"Some of them came through institutions we have interests in. Others came through investment groups connected to the family."
I stared at the floor.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because you asked us not to interfere in your marriage."
He was right.
I had asked them to give Dominic a chance.
I had asked them not to treat him like a business opportunity.
I wanted him to succeed on his own.
But apparently, he had been succeeding with our support all along.
"Did Dominic know?"
"He knew there were investors. He knew there were financial partners. But he didn't know the full ownership connections."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Then he believed he had done everything himself."
"That's what it looks like."
I felt something heavy settle in my chest.
Not anger alone.
Embarrassment.
I had defended him when my brothers questioned his intentions.
I had told them he loved me.
I had told them he was proud and didn't want help.
I had believed every word.
Victor continued.
"There are agreements that need to be reviewed. Some involve credit facilities. Others involve investment commitments."
"Can you withdraw them?"
"Not without checking the terms. We're not going to make careless moves."
I appreciated that.
I didn't want revenge to become another mistake.
I wanted the truth.
"Victor, I don't want you doing anything illegal."
He gave a short breath.
"Viv, I know."
"And I don't want innocent employees punished for what Dominic has done."
"We'll separate the company from the people who work there."
I looked at Sophia.
She was trying to straighten the paper necklace.
"Good."
"One more thing."
I waited.
"Dominic's executive position may depend on several arrangements that are not what he told the board."
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What arrangements?"
"I'm still checking."
"Victor, please don't hide anything from me."
"I won't."
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
"Your husband has been making decisions as though he had complete control of the company. The documents suggest otherwise."
I looked toward the ballroom entrance.
"Then who controls it?"
"That's what we're establishing."
I ended the call.
I stood there for several seconds.
Then Sophia touched my coat.
"Mommy, are we going to see Daddy?"
I crouched beside her.
"Not right now."
"Why?"
I searched for an answer a six-year-old could understand.
"Sometimes grown-ups have to talk about important things before they can fix them."
She considered that.
Then she held out the necklace.
"Can you keep this safe?"
I took it.
"Of course."
She carefully placed it in my handbag.
The little paper hearts disappeared beneath my wallet.
I felt as if I had put away something much bigger than a child's gift.
A few minutes later, Chloe approached us again.
This time she wasn't smiling.
"Vivienne, Mr. Hayes wants to speak with you."
I looked at her.
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Upstairs."
I considered it.
Then I shook my head.
"If he wants to speak with me, he can come downstairs."
Chloe looked irritated.
"He is hosting important guests."
"So am I."
She stared at me.
I hadn't raised my voice.
I hadn't insulted her.
But for the first time, I wasn't accepting the position she wanted to put me in.
She lowered her voice.
"You're making a mistake."
I looked at her tablet.
"Perhaps."
She turned and walked away.
I watched her disappear into the elevator.
Then I noticed another man near the reception desk.
He was speaking quietly into his phone.
He wore a company identification badge.
When he finished, he approached me.
"Mrs. Hayes?"
"Yes?"
"My name is Daniel. I work in finance."
I nodded.
He glanced around before speaking.
"I don't know how much you've been told, but there are some unusual things happening with the company's financial records."
My attention sharpened.
"What kind of things?"
He hesitated.
"Certain investment agreements have been described differently in internal presentations than they appear in the original documents."
I looked at him carefully.
"Have you reported that?"
"Yes."
"To whom?"
He looked toward the elevators.
"Senior management."
"And what happened?"
He looked down.
"Nothing."
I understood.
He was afraid.
I didn't blame him.
"Daniel, I can't promise you anything tonight. But if there are legitimate concerns, make sure the records are preserved."
He nodded.
"I have copies of the relevant reports."
"Keep them secure and follow the proper reporting procedures."
He seemed relieved that I hadn't asked him to do anything reckless.
Before he could say more, Victor sent another message.
We found discrepancies. Do not confront Dominic alone.
I read it.
Then I looked at Daniel.
"Thank you for speaking with me."
He returned to the crowd.
I put my phone away.
The picture was becoming clearer.
Dominic had not simply hidden another woman.
He had built an entire public life that depended on people believing he was someone different from the man I knew at home.
And somewhere inside that company were records that might explain why.
Click here to continue reading: PART 4: While My Daughter Protected Her Father’s Gift, My Brother Began Uncovering the Agreements That Held His Company Together
The Little Girl With a Handmade Gift Was About to Discover That Her Father Had Built a Second Family
Part 3 of 20
