Grace’s Secret Account
Chapter 15 - Grace’s Secret Account
The accountant’s name was Owen Pike. He had worked for Julian since the company merger and had spent a decade making theft look like strategy.
He came to Grace because Thomas Bennett had once protected his job after Owen admitted a bookkeeping mistake.
On Grace’s kitchen table sat the red notebook and a bank statement for an account in Wyoming.
The account held thirty-eight million dollars.
It was registered to the Bennett Family Restoration Trust.
Nora looked at Grace. “Did you know about this?”
“Not until yesterday.”
Owen explained that Thomas created the trust after the 2009 fraud. He diverted his personal bonuses into it to fund future repairs or restitution. After Thomas died, Julian secretly moved stolen housing money through the same account, making it appear the Bennett family controlled the funds.
“If investigators find this without context,” Owen said, “they will assume Nora continued her father’s scheme.”
“Why didn’t Julian empty it?” Lily asked.
“He planned to after the board removed Nora. Her signature authority was required for the final transfer.”
Nora finally understood the papers on the penthouse floor.
They had not merely given Julian her shares. They would have made her personally authorize the disappearance of the money.
Grace poured coffee with an unsteady hand.
“I have power of attorney over one old Bennett account,” she said. “I could move the original restitution funds before the government freezes everything.”
“Move them where?”
“To save the workshop. To save the house.”
Nora stared at her sister.
Grace’s eyes filled. “He took everything from us.”
“He took what he could reach. Don’t give him the rest by becoming him.”
For a moment, neither sister moved.
Then Grace closed the laptop.
“Fine,” she said. “We turn it all over.”
Owen agreed to testify if prosecutors protected his wife.
As they prepared to leave, a television report interrupted regular programming.
Julian Cross had called a press conference outside company headquarters.
He announced he was stepping down temporarily and accused Nora, Grace, Camille, Malcolm, and Owen of conspiring to seize the company.
Then he introduced his replacement as interim chief executive.
Rose Cross.
May you like
Julian’s mother walked to the microphone.
And she appeared to stand beside her son.
