{"id":25679,"date":"2026-09-29T21:43:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T21:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25679"},"modified":"2026-09-29T21:43:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T21:43:36","slug":"part-10-andrew-came-to-me-before-midnight-offering-daniels-secrets-but-his-price-revealed-he-was-still-protecting-someone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25679","title":{"rendered":"PART 10 \u2013 Andrew Came to Me Before Midnight Offering Daniel\u2019s Secrets, but His Price Revealed He Was Still Protecting Someone Else"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew called at 10:41 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>By then Nina and I had relocated to my father&#39;s lake house.<\/p>\n<p>The dining table had disappeared beneath folders, laptops, printouts, bank statements, and handwritten timelines.<\/p>\n<p>I answered because I wanted to hear what fear sounded like in his voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He sounded calm.<\/p>\n<p>Too calm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAndrew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout Victor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>I glanced at Nina.<\/p>\n<p>Her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Melissa called you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen how do you know that name?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn&#39;t important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re in trouble, Claire.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;ve heard that several times this week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;m serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo am I.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He exhaled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can explain Northstar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen explain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot over the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I&#39;m not stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I looked at Nina.<\/p>\n<p>She wrote one word on her pad.<\/p>\n<p>Meet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour lake house.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow do you know where I am?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel told me you go there when you&#39;re upset.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That answer did not comfort me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen pick somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina wrote: Office. Cameras.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrescott Logistics headquarters. Main conference room.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt midnight?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou requested secrecy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo bags.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo bags. No laptop. No papers we haven&#39;t approved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think I&#39;m dangerous?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think you&#39;ve moved millions of dollars through fake consulting agreements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>Then:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMidnight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He disconnected.<\/p>\n<p>Nina arranged security before we left.<\/p>\n<p>Two guards would remain outside the conference room.<\/p>\n<p>Marcus would monitor building access remotely.<\/p>\n<p>Every camera would record.<\/p>\n<p>No employee besides security knew we were coming.<\/p>\n<p>At 11:58, Andrew entered the lobby.<\/p>\n<p>He wore jeans, a dark jacket, and the tired expression of someone who had spent an entire day calculating exits.<\/p>\n<p>The first thing I noticed was that he wasn&#39;t carrying anything.<\/p>\n<p>The second was that he had stopped smiling.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew had always smiled.<\/p>\n<p>At birthdays.<\/p>\n<p>At funerals.<\/p>\n<p>During arguments.<\/p>\n<p>Even when Daniel humiliated me at dinner, he had hidden behind that reflexive half grin.<\/p>\n<p>Not tonight.<\/p>\n<p>He sat opposite me.<\/p>\n<p>Nina remained at my right.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAm I being recorded?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked irritated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought this was private.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is private from everyone except counsel and investigators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI need assurances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cImmunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina answered before I could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t get to negotiate immunity with corporate counsel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why am I here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause you&#39;re scared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His gaze settled on mine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should be too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf Victor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked toward Nina.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I talk, Daniel gets destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel is already under investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He rubbed his hands together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything Daniel told you about Ridgewell is incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I wasn&#39;t surprised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat&#39;s missing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRidgewell didn&#39;t approach Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho did?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina&#39;s pen stopped.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he needed money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe told me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter TransitCore started collapsing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you introduced him to Ridgewell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had connections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat connections?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA partner there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVale.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina wrote it.<\/p>\n<p>Victor Vale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPosition?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManaging director.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRelationship to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBusiness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPersonal?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#39;ve done deals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLegal ones?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina&#39;s expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMostly isn&#39;t reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew ignored her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor arranged Daniel&#39;s loan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt what rate?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPunitive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would Daniel accept it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause he had no alternatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe had me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was the one alternative he refused.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The truth in that hurt more than I expected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou would&#39;ve shut it down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew leaned back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel believed one rebound could fix everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInstead he lost more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor offered a restructuring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe twenty percent equity?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s the clean version.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is the dirty version?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew smiled faintly.<\/p>\n<p>There he was again.<\/p>\n<p>The man who thought charm could soften ugliness.<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#39;t react.<\/p>\n<p>His smile vanished.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRidgewell doesn&#39;t really want repayment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do they want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrescott.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRoutes. Warehouses. Customer contracts. Fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can buy companies openly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDistressed assets are cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A cold understanding settled over me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey expected Daniel to default.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom the beginning?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew hesitated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina spoke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo the loan wasn&#39;t rescue financing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was acquisition leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEssentially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou introduced my husband to a lender you knew wanted him to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn&#39;t know that at first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter the second amendment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd you still helped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was already in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s not an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was being paid.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo hundred thousand initially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy Ridgewell?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor personally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen the consulting transfers?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome were reimbursements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel used Bell Advisory to move money because direct transfers would have drawn attention.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you laundered his withdrawals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew&#39;s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI structured transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s a prettier phrase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina intervened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere is Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked at the table.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMelissa saw you arguing with him yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe shouldn&#39;t have been listening.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaul figured out what Ridgewell was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe panicked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Daniel&#39;s plan depended on the Holbrook sale closing before Ridgewell enforced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Holbrook?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWouldn&#39;t close fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause of me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause they needed valid control documentation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo Daniel&#39;s scheme stalled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaul decided to protect himself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthstar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I leaned closer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew rubbed his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthstar was created to warehouse the missing funds temporarily.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo make Prescott&#39;s books look cleaner during buyer diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were hiding losses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much did you expect to move?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFive, maybe six million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the account accumulated sixteen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew nodded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause Paul started redirecting additional money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout Daniel knowing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt first, no.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt first?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel knew some transfers were happening. He didn&#39;t know the total.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere did the twelve million go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I watched him carefully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou were arguing with Paul hours after the transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I found out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor called me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would Victor know?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew went silent.<\/p>\n<p>That was the first moment I knew we had reached the part he had come to protect.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAndrew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked toward the camera.<\/p>\n<p>Then back at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthstar&#39;s offshore destination belongs to a fund Victor controls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina stopped writing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot officially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does officially mean?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt sits behind two entities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy would Paul send twelve million to Victor?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe wasn&#39;t supposed to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why did he?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Victor ask for it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew&#39;s silence answered before he did.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;re lying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI&#39;m not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor knew Northstar existed. Victor knew the account held diverted money. Victor called you immediately after the transfer. You expect us to believe he had nothing to do with receiving it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew&#39;s face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor doesn&#39;t leave instructions in emails.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat wasn&#39;t my question.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He looked at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is why I wanted assurances.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you afraid he&#39;ll do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew laughed quietly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou think this is a boardroom dispute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen educate me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVictor has destroyed people financially.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat isn&#39;t illegal by itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe uses leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat leverage?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrivate information. Debt. Affairs. Tax problems. Anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWas he blackmailing Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaul?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked down.<\/p>\n<p>There.<\/p>\n<p>Finally.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat does Victor have on you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNothing relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen why are you protecting him?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou came here offering Daniel&#39;s secrets, but every answer stops when Victor appears.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked at me for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Then he said, \u201cI owe him money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwo million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeparate investment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTransitCore?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoesn&#39;t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt matters if it explains why you helped him target Prescott.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He clenched his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI helped because I needed my debt reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow much was Victor going to forgive?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn exchange for Prescott defaulting?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The confession hung in the room.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew had introduced Daniel to Ridgewell because sacrificing our company could erase his own debt.<\/p>\n<p>Every person around Daniel had somehow found a way to turn his desperation into private profit.<\/p>\n<p>Charles wanted equity.<\/p>\n<p>Melissa wanted a percentage.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew wanted debt forgiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Paul apparently wanted money.<\/p>\n<p>And Daniel wanted control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did Victor promise Paul?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGuess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t guess.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;ve guessed about everything else tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked toward the glass wall.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaul believed he could take money and disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid Victor help?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#39;t know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I watched him.<\/p>\n<p>He was still hiding something.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat is your price?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn&#39;t come here out of conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His expression changed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want written protection from the company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeaning?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI give you everything I have.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmails, messages, Ridgewell documents, Daniel&#39;s side agreements, recordings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn return?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don&#39;t pursue Bell Advisory for restitution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I almost admired the audacity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou helped move millions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can help recover more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s not the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you sue me, I fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stared at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou&#39;ll lose time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have investigators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can give you Victor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina&#39;s eyes sharpened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI recorded him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThree meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver the last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cInsurance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody in this group trusted anyone else.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew unlocked his phone but didn&#39;t hand it over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want terms first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I shook my head.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His face hardened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen we&#39;re done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stood.<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#39;t stop him.<\/p>\n<p>He took two steps toward the door.<\/p>\n<p>Then I said, \u201cPaul has something on you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He stopped.<\/p>\n<p>I didn&#39;t know that.<\/p>\n<p>Not for certain.<\/p>\n<p>But his shoulders told me I was right.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I remained seated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat&#39;s why you came tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He turned slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPaul took more than money.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Silence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat did he take?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew looked at Nina.<\/p>\n<p>Then at the camera.<\/p>\n<p>Then at me.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA backup drive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat was on it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefine everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNorthstar records. Ridgewell agreements. Daniel&#39;s forged approvals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He swallowed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe real TransitCore account statements.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I frowned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat about them?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew&#39;s face had gone pale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDaniel didn&#39;t lose fifteen million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nina leaned forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe lost four.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen where did the rest go?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Andrew sank back into the chair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat,\u201d he said, \u201cis why Paul disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/?p=25680\">Click here to continue reading: PART 11: Daniel\u2019s Fifteen-Million-Dollar Loss Was a Lie, and the Missing Eleven Million Led to a Second Scheme Hidden Inside the First<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew called at 10:41 p.m. By then Nina and I had relocated to my father&#39;s lake house. 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