The Name on the Reservation
Chapter 03 - The Name on the Reservation
Laura left the suite with her shoulders straight.
She made it down the hallway, past the waterfall wall and the lavender candles, before her hands began to shake.
At the front desk, the spa manager hurried toward her.
"Ms. Bennett? Is everything all right?"
Laura almost said yes out of habit.
Instead, she asked, "Who booked that private suite?"
The manager hesitated.
"I can't normally share guest information."
Laura placed her resort key card on the desk. "The reservation is tied to my villa. I am paying the bill."
After several uncomfortable clicks on the computer, the manager's expression changed.
"That's strange."
"What is?"
"The spa suite wasn't billed to your villa. It was paid through a corporate account."
Laura's stomach tightened.
"Which company?"
The manager turned the screen slightly.
Bennett Coastal Holdings.
Laura stared at the name.
That was the property company she had inherited from her mother. It owned two rental homes, a small office building, and several parcels of coastal land. Evan had no ownership in it.
He did, however, help oversee some financial paperwork while Laura's longtime accountant recovered from surgery.
"How many charges?" she asked.
The manager looked uncertain. "To this account?"
"Yes."
A longer pause.
"This is the sixth visit since February."
Laura felt the blood drain from her face.
Six visits.
Not one mistake. Not one impulsive betrayal. A pattern paid for with her money.
She asked the manager to email the invoices to her attorney.
Then she called Dana Price, the lawyer who had handled her mother's estate.
"Laura? I thought you were in Florida for the wedding."
"I am. I need you to do something before you ask me why."
Dana heard something in her voice and stopped joking.
"Tell me."
"Freeze every nonessential transfer out of Bennett Coastal Holdings that legally requires my authorization. And check whether anyone has tried to alter signing authority in the last year."
"Laura, what's happened?"
She looked back toward the spa corridor.
Evan had not followed her yet.
May you like
That worried her more than if he had.
"I caught Evan cheating," Laura said. "But I think he was hoping that would be the only thing I noticed."
