Silence.
Then Daniel’s voice changed.
“Do not let anyone leave with documents, laptops, phones, or financial records.”
Arthur glanced toward the desk.
The laptop was gone.
“Elena.”
She didn’t answer.
“Where’s your computer?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where your own laptop is?”
“I left it downstairs.”
Maria shook her head.
“No.”
Elena spun around.
“Stay out of this.”
Maria stepped closer to Arthur.
“She had it ten minutes ago.”
“Where?”
Maria hesitated.
“In the garage.”
Arthur felt something cold move through him.
“Doing what?”
“She put it inside the trunk of her car.”
Elena rushed for the door.
Arthur blocked her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Arthur, don’t be ridiculous.”
“Keys.”
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“Give me your keys.”
“This is my house too.”
“And that is potentially evidence of a felony.”
For the first time, Elena looked afraid.
Arthur noticed.
So did Maria.
Lucas began crying again.
Arthur immediately softened.
He crouched beside him.
“Hey.”
Lucas wiped his cheek.
“Is Elena going to jail?”
Arthur glanced up.
Elena was staring at the boy.
Her expression had changed again.
Not fear.
Hatred.
Arthur moved between them.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
He put one hand on Lucas’s shoulder.
“But you are safe.”
Maria crouched beside the boy.
“I’ll stay with him.”
Arthur nodded.
“Thank you.”
As Maria guided Lucas toward the hallway, the boy suddenly stopped.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Elena said something yesterday.”
Elena went completely still.
Arthur saw it.
“What did she say?”
Lucas looked confused.
“She was on the phone.”
“With who?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did you hear?”
Lucas rubbed his nose.
“She said you didn’t have to sign anything if the bank believed you already did.”
Arthur slowly raised his eyes toward his wife.
Elena whispered.
“He misunderstood.”
Lucas shook his head.
“No, I didn’t.”
Arthur’s phone was still connected to Daniel.
His attorney had heard everything.
“Arthur.”
Daniel’s voice came through the speaker.
“Call the police.”
Elena lunged for the phone.
Arthur stepped backward.
She missed.
Her calm disappeared.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Apparently neither did you.”
“No.”
She pointed at Maria.
“You have no idea what she is doing.”
Maria stopped.
Elena smiled.
There was something ugly in it.
“You really think she discovered those papers by accident?”
Arthur frowned.
Elena laughed.
“Ask your perfect nanny why she used to work for North Harbor Private Bank.”
Arthur turned.
Maria’s face had gone pale.
“Elena.”
Arthur’s voice lowered.
“Is that true?”
Maria looked at him.
“Yes.”
Arthur felt the room shift beneath him.
“You never told me that.”
“I had a reason.”
“What reason?”
Before Maria could answer, Arthur’s phone vibrated.
An incoming email appeared.
NORTH HARBOR PRIVATE BANK – URGENT TRUST ACTIVITY NOTICE.
Arthur opened it.
His stomach turned.
The $4.8 million request wasn’t pending.
It had already been approved.
And according to the timestamp, the transfer had been released twenty-three minutes earlier.
Arthur looked at the receiving account.
Bellweather Socios Estratégicos LLC.
Nunca había oído hablar de ella.
Daniel maldijo por el altavoz.
“Arthur, llama al banco inmediatamente.”
Arthur ya estaba marcando.
Pero Elena ya no parecía asustada.
Sonreía.
Porque en algún lugar más allá de las paredes de la casa de Arthur, casi cinco millones de dólares pertenecientes a su hijo acababan de desaparecer.
Y a juzgar por la expresión de Elena, creía que Arthur ya había llegado demasiado tarde.
