Chapter 4 - The Company Coup
The morning air was crisp as I pulled into the parking lot of First National Bank.
I had managed the grocery chain’s finances for twelve years.
I knew every account number, every routing code, and every bank manager by name.
I walked straight into the branch manager’s office without an appointment.
Sarah, a woman I had worked with for a decade, looked up in surprise.
“Claire, I am so sorry about your mother,” Sarah said sympathetically.
“Thank you, Sarah, but I need you to freeze all outgoing transfers for the Romano Grocery Group immediately,” I instructed.
Sarah’s eyes widened in confusion.
“Daniel just called me twenty minutes ago,” Sarah revealed.
“He requested an emergency wire transfer of one million dollars to a holding company.”
My stomach dropped into my shoes.
Daniel was trying to empty the entire emergency fund in one massive sweep.
He was planning to pay off Samuel Thorne and flee.
“You cannot authorize that wire, Sarah,” I demanded, pulling my financial binder from my bag.
“I am the Chief Financial Officer, and I am officially reporting fraudulent activity.”
I placed my notarized authorization forms on her desk.
“Under the corporate bylaws, any transfer over five hundred thousand dollars requires two executive signatures.”
Sarah quickly typed on her keyboard, verifying the rules.
“You are right, Claire,” she confirmed.
“I am flagging the account for suspected fraud right now.”
“The funds are frozen until a full board investigation can be completed.”
I let out a massive sigh of relief.
My phone started ringing before I even left the bank.
It was Daniel.
I answered the call and put it on speakerphone in the safety of my locked car.
“What the hell did you just do?” Daniel screamed through the phone.
“I saved our father’s company,” I replied coldly.
“You have no idea what you have just unleashed, Claire,” he threatened.
“You just signed your own death warrant.”
“The only person going down is you, Daniel,” I snapped, and disconnected the call.
May you like
I had cut off his money supply.
Now, I needed to confront the ghosts of Briarwood.
