Chapter 9 - THE CHAIRWOMAN'S SIGNATURE
Patricia Sloan came to my office personally.
She looked furious.
“I never signed this.”
“I believe you.”
“Why?”
“Because the notary seal is wrong.”
Her actual seal number ended in 4187.
The amendment showed 4817.
Close enough to fool someone who did not check.
Not me.
Not Marcus.
Patricia stared at the document.
“Whoever made this had access to one of my old notarized board forms.”
That narrowed the field.
Carter.
Evelyn.
Corporate legal.
And Khloe, through Carter’s office.
Patricia ordered a forensic review.
The document metadata pointed to Sterling’s executive-floor printer system.
Then IT logs showed the source computer.
Executive assistant workstation 3.
Khloe’s desk.
Carter looked sick when he heard.
“She forged it?”
“Or someone using her computer did.”
Khloe’s attorney requested a meeting.
This time, she arrived without attitude.
She looked scared.
“I didn’t create that amendment.”
“Your workstation did.”
“Evelyn used my office.”
My eyebrows lifted.
“When?”
“All the time.”
Khloe explained that Evelyn treated the executive floor like her own home.
She entered Carter’s office.
Used assistants.
Borrowed printers.
Demanded access.
“She told me Samantha’s paperwork needed updating.”
“Did you know she was forging my signature?”
“No.”
“Did you help her access files?”
Khloe hesitated.
“Yes.”
Finally.
Truth.
She had given Evelyn internal patent documents because Evelyn promised to invest in Halcyon.
She also admitted Carter knew Halcyon existed.
He just did not know how much information Khloe and Evelyn had shared.
Then Khloe said something unexpected.
“You think Evelyn is doing this for money.”
“Isn’t she?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“She wants Carter removed.”
I stared at her.
“She’s his mother.”
Khloe nodded.
“She thinks he’s weak.”
Apparently, Evelyn had told Khloe repeatedly that Carter had become “soft” after marrying me.
Too dependent.
Too emotional.
Too willing to let Ashbourne money control Sterling.
Evelyn was not protecting her son.
She was preparing to replace him.
“With Adrian?” I asked.
Khloe shook her head.
“With someone else.”
“Who?”
She pulled out her phone.
A photograph showed Evelyn having dinner with a man I recognized instantly.
Nathan Brooks.
Sterling’s CFO.
May you like
The man who had been feeding me every financial discovery.
And according to Khloe, Nathan had been secretly meeting Evelyn for nearly a year.
