Chapter 5 - THE BOARDROOM EXPLOSIONThe next morning, Vale Hospitality Group headquarters was surrounded by reporters.
Nobody expected Marcus Vale to appear.
Then the elevator doors opened.
He stepped out wearing his torn denim jacket.
The room went silent.
Executives stared.
Assistants stopped typing.
Security guards stood uncertainly.
Marcus walked toward the boardroom.
No announcement.
No security detail.
No expensive suit.
Just the same man everyone had called homeless three days earlier.
He opened the boardroom door.
Evelyn Grant stood at the head of the table.
Her expression changed immediately.
“Marcus.”
He sat down.
“Good morning.”
Daniel Cross was there.
So were seven other board members.
Richard Hale was absent.
Marcus looked around.
“Let's talk about the money.”
Nobody moved.
Daniel spoke first.
“I think this meeting should be postponed.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Sit down.”
Daniel slowly sat.
Marcus placed Elena's journal on the table.
Evelyn's face went pale.
Marcus noticed.
“So you recognize it.”
Evelyn didn't answer.
Daniel looked at her.
“Don't.”
Marcus turned.
“Don't what?”
Daniel remained silent.
Marcus opened the journal.
“My wife discovered the employee fund fraud.”
A board member shook his head.
“We don't know that.”
Marcus pushed copies of the documents across the table.
“You will.”
He showed them bank transfers.
Fake contracts.
Private accounts.
Charity records.
Then he placed one final document on the table.
A list of beneficiaries.
The room became silent.
Marcus looked at Evelyn.
“Why?”
Evelyn's eyes filled with tears.
“I didn't steal from you.”
Marcus waited.
“You helped them.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Daniel stood.
“This is absurd.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Sit down.”
Daniel didn't.
Marcus pressed a button.
The boardroom television turned on.
A video appeared.
Richard Hale was speaking to a group of managers.
“We need to keep labor costs low.”
Another manager asked:
“What about the employee emergency fund?”
Richard laughed.
“Employees don't need to know where the money comes from.”
The video ended.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Marcus looked around.
“I have six more recordings.”
One board member whispered:
“How did you get these?”
Marcus smiled.
“By listening.”
He turned to Daniel.
“You thought I was gone.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You were.”
“No.”
Marcus leaned forward.
“I was watching.”
Then the door opened.
Richard Hale walked in.
Two security officers followed him.
Marcus looked at him.
“Why are you here?”
Richard smiled nervously.
“I was invited.”
“No, you weren't.”
Richard's face changed.
Daniel spoke quickly.
“Richard, leave.”
Richard ignored him.
He looked at Marcus.
“You ruined my career.”
Marcus stared.
“You ruined it yourself.”
Richard stepped closer.
“You don't understand what you're doing.”
Marcus remained calm.
“I understand exactly.”
Richard suddenly pulled out his phone.
“You think everyone will believe you?”
Marcus said nothing.
Richard pressed a button.
The boardroom screen changed.
A photograph appeared.
Marcus looked at it.
His expression froze.
It showed Elena entering a car.
The driver was Daniel.
Richard smiled.
“You want the truth?”
Marcus stared.
“What happened to my wife?”
Richard's smile disappeared.
“Ask Daniel.”
Daniel's face went pale.
Marcus turned slowly toward him.
Daniel whispered:
“It's not what you think.”
Marcus stood.
“Then tell me.”
Daniel looked at the board.
No one moved.
Finally, he spoke.
“Elena found out about the money.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“And?”
“She confronted me.”
“What happened?”
“She threatened to expose everything.”
Marcus stepped closer.
“Did you hurt her?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Richard interrupted.
“She was going to destroy all of us.”
Marcus turned toward him.
Richard suddenly realized he had said too much.
Marcus stared at him.
“All of us?”
Richard froze.
The room erupted.
Board members began shouting.
Evelyn covered her face.
Daniel tried to silence Richard.
But it was too late.
Marcus understood.
There were more people involved.
Not just Daniel.
Not just Richard.
The entire conspiracy had been bigger than he imagined.
Then Evelyn finally spoke.
“I can explain.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Then explain.”
Evelyn began crying.
“Elena wasn't killed.”
Marcus froze.
“What?”
“She was threatened.”
“By whom?”
Evelyn looked toward Daniel.
Daniel shook his head.
“Don't.”
Evelyn whispered:
“She was forced to leave.”
Marcus's heart stopped.
“Leave?”
Evelyn nodded.
“She was alive.”
Marcus stared at her.
For three years, he had believed his wife was dead.
His entire world seemed to tilt.
Then Evelyn said the words that shattered everything Marcus believed.
“Elena has been living under another name.”
Marcus could barely breathe.
“Where?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“She asked me never to tell you.”
“Where is she?”
Evelyn hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Boston.”
Marcus grabbed his coat.
But before he could leave, the boardroom doors opened again.
A woman stood there.
Dark hair.
Tired eyes.
A familiar face.
Marcus stopped breathing.
The woman whispered:
“Marcus.”
His knees nearly gave out.
It was Elena.
May you like
Alive.
And standing in front of him.
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