Chapter 7 - THE WOMAN EVERYONE DECIDED TO BLAME
By morning, the police had Valerie’s name.
By noon, the media had a theory.
By evening, the theory had become truth to millions of strangers.
The brake device carried Bell Systems markings.
An anonymous source claimed Valerie still possessed equipment from her grandfather’s company.
A former employee told a television network that Thomas Bell had been “obsessed” with the Ward family.
Another source claimed Valerie had spent years planning revenge.
Then something worse happened.
Two million dollars appeared in Valerie’s bank account.
The exact amount from Evelyn Ward’s rejected agreement.
Valerie discovered it when her bank called.
“Ms. Bell, we have temporarily restricted the account because of an unusual incoming transfer.”
“What transfer?”
“Two million dollars.”
Her stomach dropped.
“From who?”
“Redstone Advisory.”
“I don’t know them.”
“The transfer note reads settlement consideration.”
Valerie closed her eyes.
Sebastian stood across the room.
He knew immediately.
“What?”
She lowered the phone.
“Someone paid me.”
“How much?”
“Two million.”
His face hardened.
“The NDA.”
“Yes.”
Within forty minutes, a financial reporter had the information.
VALERIE BELL ACCEPTED $2 MILLION PAYMENT FROM WARD-RELATED ENTITY.
The narrative changed instantly.
She was no longer the victim of surveillance.
She was a woman who had taken money.
Then publicly complained.
The heritage foundation where Valerie served as an unpaid preservation adviser suspended her.
A university canceled a lecture.
Her landlord’s office informed her the new owners planned “major renovations” requiring all tenants to vacate within thirty days.
Everything happened at once.
Too neatly.
Too quickly.
Valerie sat at Jonah’s kitchen table reading the email from the foundation.
Her hands were motionless.
Sebastian watched from the doorway.
“They’ll reverse it.”
She didn’t look up.
“You don’t know that.”
“I’ll call them.”
“No.”
“They know me.”
“That is exactly why you will not call them.”
Sebastian stopped.
Valerie closed the laptop.
“Do you know what people think?”
“I don’t care.”
“I do.”
He exhaled.
“I know.”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“I don’t think you do.”
“You can walk into a room after a scandal and still be Sebastian Ward.”
“People might hate you.”
“They might criticize you.”
“They might even short your stock.”
“But no one looks at you and asks what you sold.”
Sebastian remained silent.
Valerie continued.
“When they look at me now, they see a woman who slept with a billionaire and received two million dollars.”
“They don’t care that I rejected the check.”
“They don’t care that someone transferred money without my consent.”
“They don’t care that private audio was stolen.”
“They’ve already decided what I am.”
Sebastian’s face tightened.
“I haven’t.”
Valerie looked at him.
“I know.”
That mattered.
More than she wanted it to.
His phone rang.
Jonah entered.
“Don’t answer that.”
Sebastian frowned.
“Why?”
“It’s Adrian.”
“That’s exactly why I’m answering.”
“No.”
Jonah placed a laptop on the table.
“I found Redstone.”
Valerie stood.
“What is it?”
“Shell consulting company.”
“Owned by?”
“Another shell company.”
Sebastian leaned over.
“And that one?”
“Ward Strategic Ventures.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.
“That account requires CFO approval.”
Valerie whispered.
“Adrian.”
Jonah nodded.
Sebastian answered the phone.
His brother spoke first.
“Where are you?”
“Did you send Valerie two million dollars?”
Silence.
Then Adrian laughed.
“What?”
“Answer me.”
“No.”
“The money came through a company you control.”
“I control twelve hundred accounts.”
“That excuse worked better with the apartment building.”
Adrian’s tone changed.
“Sebastian.”
“Come to the office.”
“No.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
Adrian sighed.
“You’re becoming irrational.”
Sebastian’s expression went cold.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“That’s the same word Mother uses every time I ask a question she doesn’t want to answer.”
“Maybe because you are.”
Sebastian ended the call.
Valerie stared at him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Go to the office.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
“You really hate hearing that word.”
“Deeply.”
“If Adrian is behind this, walking into his office angry is exactly what he expects.”
“So I should stay here?”
“No.”
“What do you suggest?”
Valerie thought for a moment.
“Follow the money.”
Jonah nodded.
“I like her.”
Sebastian looked at him.
“I noticed.”
Valerie sat again.
“Who could authorize Redstone transfers besides Adrian?”
“Technically?”
Sebastian asked.
“Adrian.”
“Mother.”
“Me.”
“Corporate treasury, above a certain threshold.”
Jonah checked the record.
“This one was split.”
“Four transfers.”
“Five hundred thousand each.”
Sebastian frowned.
“To avoid executive notification.”
“Exactly.”
Valerie looked at him.
“So someone didn’t just send money.”
“They deliberately structured it so you wouldn’t see.”
“Yes.”
Sebastian’s phone buzzed.
A news alert appeared.
WARD BOARD TO HOLD EMERGENCY SESSION.
He stared.
“I didn’t call that meeting.”
Jonah checked his phone.
“Adrian did.”
Sebastian laughed quietly.
Valerie watched him.
“What?”
“He’s moving.”
“Against you?”
“Yes.”
“Why now?”
“Because he thinks I’m distracted.”
Valerie’s expression hardened.
“By me.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“Don’t.”
“It’s true.”
“No.”
“Your company is under attack because of this.”
“My company is under attack because someone committed crimes.”
“But I’m the leverage.”
Sebastian walked closer.
“Look at me.”
She did.
“You are not responsible for what someone does to hurt you.”
Valerie swallowed.
“I didn’t say I was.”
“You were about to.”
She looked away.
He continued.
“If Adrian thinks hurting you makes me weak, that is his mistake.”
“Sebastian.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“You asked me not to treat you like something fragile.”
“I heard you.”
“I’m trying.”
She looked at him again.
“And if I tell you to walk away?”
His face changed.
“From you?”
“Yes.”
“Would that make you safer?”
“Maybe.”
“Would it be what you want?”
Valerie said nothing.
Sebastian nodded.
“Then don’t ask me to make your decision because you’re afraid of mine.”
She stared at him.
“You’re getting better at this.”
“Painfully.”
Jonah’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed almost immediately.
“What?”
Sebastian asked.
Jonah held up one finger.
Then ended the call.
“Naomi Cross has been found.”
Valerie stood so quickly the chair fell backward.
“Where?”
“Queens.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s alive.”
Valerie closed her eyes.
Sebastian touched her elbow.
She didn’t pull away.
Jonah continued.
“She was found unconscious in her car.”
“Hospital?”
“St. Catherine’s.”
“Take me.”
Valerie grabbed her coat.
Sebastian followed.
Jonah stopped them.
“There’s more.”
They turned.
“Police found a laptop in the car.”
Valerie frowned.
“Naomi’s?”
“No.”
“What was on it?”
Jonah looked at Sebastian.
“Copies of the edited gala audio.”
“Transfer records.”
“Photos from your penthouse.”
“And an encrypted folder marked BELL.”
Sebastian stared.
“Whose laptop?”
Jonah hesitated.
“It’s registered to me.”
Silence.
Sebastian looked at him.
Valerie did too.
Jonah’s face became unreadable.
Sebastian spoke slowly.
“Tell me that isn’t what it sounds like.”
“It isn’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because my laptop is in my office.”
Valerie’s voice was quiet.
“Then someone cloned your credentials too.”
Jonah nodded.
Sebastian’s phone rang again.
This time Detective Price.
He answered.
“Mr. Ward.”
“Yes.”
“We need to speak with Mr. Reed.”
Jonah already knew.
Sebastian looked at him.
“Why?”
“His credentials appear on several unauthorized security entries.”
“And?”
“And we have evidence linking his account to the penthouse surveillance.”
Valerie stared at Jonah.
Sebastian’s voice turned cold.
“You’re wrong.”
“Maybe.”
Detective Price replied.
“But until we know that, Mr. Reed cannot remain in charge of your security.”
A knock sounded downstairs.
Then another.
Jonah walked toward the window.
Police vehicles had arrived.
He looked at Sebastian.
“Do not interfere.”
“You expect me to let them arrest you?”
“If you interfere, Adrian wins twice.”
Sebastian’s jaw clenched.
Jonah removed his weapon.
Placed it on the table.
Then his badge.
Valerie whispered.
“Jonah.”
He looked at her.
“Find Naomi.”
“What?”
“She knows who hired Redline.”
Police entered.
Jonah lifted his hands.
As they escorted him away, Sebastian’s phone buzzed.
A message from Adrian.
YOU ALWAYS WERE TERRIBLE AT CHOOSING WHO TO TRUST.
Sebastian stared at it.
Then Valerie’s phone buzzed too.
Unknown number.
She opened the message.
May you like
One sentence.
SEBASTIAN IS NEXT.
