Chapter 6 - The Gathering Storm
While peace returned to the house on Cliff Road, a storm was brewing in the financial district of Providence.
Selene March’s father, Arthur March, was not a man who accepted defeat easily. Losing control of the Bellweather Hotel and having his resort assets frozen had stripped away forty percent of his net worth overnight.
On Friday afternoon, Arthur March called an emergency meeting at his private club in downtown Providence. Seated around the long mahogany table were Julian Vale, two senior bank managers, and a ruthless private investigator named Vance.
"Calder thinks he can ruin sixty years of March family history for a dishwasher," Arthur March snarled, slamming his fist onto the leather tabletop. He was a broad, heavy man with red skin and thin silver hair. "He used an illegal asset freeze! He bought the hotel's debt through a offshore shell company!"
"Arthur, calm down," Julian said nervously, adjusting his tie. "Roman’s lawyers have locked down every angle. If we try to challenge the sale in court, he'll release the security footage of Selene hitting Norah. The publicity will kill what's left of your resort stock."
"I don't care about the publicity!" Arthur roared. He turned his bulging eyes toward Vance, the private investigator sitting in the corner. "What did you find out about the girl?"
Vance opened a thin gray folder and laid three sheets of paper on the table.
"Norah Bellamy was clean until she met Julian," Vance reported in a flat, raspy voice. "Her mother died of pancreatic cancer eighteen months ago, leaving roughly eighty thousand dollars in medical debt. Julian paid off forty thousand during their marriage. The rest was transferred to a collections agency three months ago."
Julian went pale. "I... I thought the estate covered that."
"You didn't check," Vance said dryly. "The collection agency is owned by a firm called Apex Financial. Apex Financial is owned by Roman Calder."
Arthur March leaned forward, a cruel, calculating grin spreading across his heavy face. "So Calder bought her debt before he bought her?"
"Not quite," Vance continued, flipping a page. "Calder bought the debt five months ago. But he never collected a single cent from her. He froze the interest. Then, six weeks ago, he wrote off the entire balance as a gift."
"He was setting a trap," Julian whispered, realization dawning on him. "He was watching her even before I divorced her!"
"He wasn't watching her to trap you, Julian," Vance said coldly. "He was watching her because three years ago, Norah's mother worked as a seamstress for Roman Calder's late sister. When Celeste Bellamy died, Roman promised her he would make sure her daughter was looked after if she ever fell on hard times."
The room went dead silent.
Julian stared at the folder, his jaw hanging open. "Roman knew her mother?"
"Celeste Bellamy made the wedding gown for Roman’s sister twenty years ago," Vance revealed. "Roman isn't using Norah to get to you, Mr. Vale. He married her because he promised a dying woman he would keep her daughter safe. And you made her work in a basement."
Arthur March slammed his folder shut, his face twisting into a mask of pure venom. "I don't care about old promises. Calder has a weakness now. He has a wife he cares about, and a kid on the way. If we can't hit his bank accounts, we hit his reputation."
"What are you planning, Arthur?" Julian asked, a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach.
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"The annual Rhode Island Maritime Gala is tomorrow night," Arthur said with a dark, dangerous smile. "Every major investor on the East Coast will be there. Calder will have to attend if he wants to secure the deep-water port contracts for his shipping lines. And he'll bring his new wife."
Arthur looked at Julian, his eyes burning with malice. "You're going to stand on that stage, Julian. And you're going to tell three hundred investors that Norah was sleeping with Calder while she was still married to you."
