Her husband had negotiated the financing through intermediaries, and my name never appeared publicly because the debt sat inside one of my holding companies.
Three months earlier, Whitmore Development had violated a covenant requirement.
We had chosen not to enforce it.
Yet.
I stared at the account number.
“Did they authorize company funds for this private dinner?”
Marcus nodded.
“That’s why I became concerned. The assistant said if you refused payment, we should charge the corporate account.”
I nearly laughed.
Victoria had designed a trap for me and accidentally handed over evidence of possible misuse of company funds.
I thanked Marcus and asked him to print everything.
Then I called my attorney.
The call lasted four minutes.
When I returned to the dining room, Victoria lifted her champagne glass.
“Well?”
I sat down.
“Everything’s fine.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“So you’re paying?”
I looked at the bill.
“Eventually.”
Her sister laughed.
Victoria leaned closer.
“I knew Emily had exaggerated your financial situation.”
Emily flinched.
Something changed inside me.
The money had never mattered.
Fourteen thousand dollars wouldn’t hurt me.
But watching my daughter sit silently while this woman treated her like an applicant begging admission into a superior bloodline?
That mattered.
I folded the bill.
