Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN THEY PLANNED TO BLAME
Fiona learned about the false invoices from her own attorney, not Damian.
That was important to her.
She needed independent information.
For too many years, everything she knew about the family’s finances had passed through someone with the O’Connor surname.
Now she sat across from Nadia and her personal attorney, Angela Brooks, studying documents that appeared to show her receiving money she had never touched.
“They used my name.”
“Yes,” Angela said.
“And the payments?”
“Went to an account controlled by Westbridge.”
“Then why am I listed as the beneficiary?”
Angela hesitated.
“Because the payment descriptions appear designed to make the transactions look like personal grants you requested.”
Fiona stared at the papers.
She suddenly understood why Brenda had spent months describing her as financially irresponsible.
Why Gertrude told guests that Fiona lacked the sophistication to manage money.
Why the family made comments about her charity work.
They had been building a story.
If the missing money was discovered, Fiona would look like the obvious suspect.
The ordinary woman who married into wealth.
The wife who sold jewelry.
The woman secretly helping former employees.
All those facts could be twisted into something ugly.
“What do we do?”
Angela closed the folder.
“We document everything and challenge the false records.”
Fiona nodded.
Then her phone rang.
Miriam.
The older woman sounded frightened.
“Fiona, two men came to my apartment.”
Her blood turned cold.
“What men?”
“They said they were investigating a financial complaint.”
“Did they identify themselves?”
“One said he worked for the hotel group.”
“What did they want?”
“They asked whether you had given me money.”
Fiona closed her eyes.
“And?”
“I told them you bought my medicine.”
Miriam’s voice broke.
“They said that if I signed a statement saying you asked me to keep the payments secret, they could restore my employee benefits.”
Fiona felt rage rise through her fear.
“They tried to buy your testimony?”
“I didn’t sign.”
“Good.”
“But they said they might come back.”
Fiona immediately contacted Angela.
By the afternoon, three other employees reported similar visits.
The intimidation was no coincidence.
Someone was trying to turn Fiona’s generosity into evidence against her.
Damian wanted to send private security to everyone.
Fiona refused to let his organization become responsible for controlling the witnesses.
Instead, Angela coordinated with investigators and arranged independent legal assistance.
For the first time, Damian had to accept that protecting someone sometimes meant allowing professionals outside his control to do their jobs.
That evening, Rebecca arrived with new evidence.
She had recovered archived messages from Victor Hales’s accounting system.
One email contained the subject:
FIONA CONTINGENCY.
The message instructed staff to keep copies of certain employee-assistance payments under Fiona’s name.
The purpose was written plainly.
If the financial discrepancies are discovered, the family office must be protected from reputational exposure.
Brenda had replied.
Agreed. Fiona’s personal spending makes this explanation credible.
Damian stared at the email.
His sister had deliberately made his wife the planned scapegoat.
But then Rebecca opened the next message.
It had been sent by Gertrude.
I approved the protective arrangement. Damian must never know the family’s resources were placed at risk.
Damian felt his stomach drop.
His mother had not merely failed to defend Fiona.
May you like
She had knowingly helped arrange the plan to blame her.
And she had done it while sharing the same roof.
