Chapter 2

2.

If the allergy was a lie, then her goal was simple.

She wanted me at that specific pharmacy at that exact time.

She wanted me to cross paths with that unstable old man.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the weather.

I needed someone I could trust, so I called Lilian, the head of my finance department.

Lilian was a veteran at the company and the only person who had defended me during the scandal in my past life.

She had fought to clear my name while everyone else was throwing stones.

After my death, Landon and Mila had fired her for "creating a toxic environment."

I took a deep breath and dialed her number.

"Lilian, I need you to run an audit on the company's transactions from the last six months."

"Mr. Ford? Why the sudden request?" Lilian sounded surprised.

She paused before adding, "Besides, your wife took over the accounting books months ago. I'm worried she'll―"

I understood her hesitation.

Mila had insisted on joining the company to "gain experience."

I tried to give her an easy administrative role, but she threw a tantrum.

"I'm the boss's wife! I should be managing the money, not filing papers!" she had screamed.

I gave in to her demands, and she treated the finance department like her personal playground.

Lilian had warned me several times that things weren't right, but I had ignored her to keep the peace at home.

I realized now that Mila wasn't just a spoiled girl; she was a predator.

"Don't worry about her," I told Lilian. "Just do it quietly."

Lilian worked fast and called me back within the hour.

It turned out Mila had siphoned millions of dollars out of the company in just six months!

"The books look balanced at a glance, but the expenses don't add up," Lilian explained.

"If you call any of these vendors, you'll find out the invoices are completely faked."

I gripped my steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.

"Can you track where the money actually went?" I asked.

"Not yet, but give me a little more time and I'll have the destination accounts."

I told her I trusted her and then drove back to the gala.

But before I could even step out of my car, a group of people carrying a body bag surrounded me.

"That's him! He's the one who killed our father!"