Chapter 7 - An Unexpected Ally
The next morning, the local business section ran a massive headline: VANCE CAPITAL SEVERS TIES WITH CARTER ENTERPRISES AMID FRAUD ALLEGATIONS.
I sat in my small office downtown, staring at the newspaper on my desk. My phone had been ringing non-stop with calls from clients, journalists, and curious acquaintances. I hadn't answered a single one.
Around 11:00 AM, a soft knock sounded at my office door.
I looked up expecting my assistant, but instead, Michael Vance stepped into the room. He looked exhausted. His tailored suit was gone, replaced by a simple sweater and jeans, his dark hair messy.
"Emily," he said quietly. "Do you have a few minutes?"
I hesitated, then nodded toward the chair across from my desk. "Michael. What are you doing here?"
He sat down, placing a black leather folder on my desk. "I came to apologize. On behalf of myself and my family."
"You don't owe me an apology, Michael," I said. "You were as deceived as anyone else."
"No, I do owe you," he insisted, looking directly into my eyes. "For six months, I listened to Victoria talk down about you. She made you sound bitter, lazy, and jealous. And I sat there and believed her because it was easier than looking closer. I should have paid attention to how she treated you."
He pushed the black folder toward me.
"What is this?" I asked.
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"My family's legal team spent the night reviewing the evidence your grandmother provided," Michael explained. "We confirmed that Victoria and your father used your company's identity to divert federal contract credits. My grandmother wants to make it right."
I opened the folder. Inside was a formal contract offering my design firm an exclusive three-year retainer with Vance Capital—a contract worth five times what I had lost three years ago.
