Chapter Four - MYSTERY TRAITOR

Thursday, 29th of September 2016

"I believe this concludes the meeting for today. After we get the final report of your company's status, we will finalize the proceedings for the merger", said the CEO of Romaine Enterprises, Jean Beauchêne.

They all shook hands as Alex's staffs and Beauchêne's entourage exited the conference room. Beauchêne stayed so that he could have a small talk with Alex before he left.

"It was great doing business with you, Mr. Beauchêne."

"Likewise, Mr. Price" he said with a deep French accent.

The foreign CEO was a French older man in his mid-fifties. His pristine hair was short, littered with grey hairs with some fading shades of blond. He had calm blue eyes and had a well-groomed beard that made him look much ragged than he was.

He had been a successful businessman at a young age but there was a time he fell from the top because of marital issues. It had been publicly known that his ex-wife was a con artist that managed to strip him off majority of his assets before fleeing the continent. No one knew where she was for the past thirty years now.

Since then, he had barely managed to when someone invested in his company. He finally had the chance to take his company back to its number one position in Europe.

It was why Alex respected the man. They both had similar stories of their spouses betraying them, but it didn't stop Jean from moving forward. Now he had a daughter and some grandkids to take care of. He wished the same for himself.

"How is the family, Mr. Beauchêne?" It was both CEOs left in the conference room. The rest had their busy schedule to attend to and had already left.

"Stop calling me Mr. Beauchêne. Call me Jean. As for my family, they are fine. My daughter is as beautiful as ever and I am hoping she ties the knot again. God knows her ex-husband was an ass." He rolled his eyes his own statement then relaxed a bit with a smile. "As for my grandchildren, they are wonderful, the best that an old man could hope for."

Alex enjoyed the way Jean talked about his family with overwhelming joy and pride. He envied Jean, knowing that it might or never be like that for him. He does wish to meet them see for himself how they were.

"They sound wonderful. I do hope to meet them sometime in the future and please, call me Alex", he said with a cheerful grin.

"Trust me. There is no doubt about it."

"I'm looking forward to it. Do tell me more about them?"

Jean talked about his family as we slowly exited the conference room to the elevators for his departure.

"Oh, my daughter, Valeria, is the sweetest and kindest child that any man could ask for, but she has a vengeance streak in her. Piss her off and she's on you. It can't help but remind me of her late mother whom she took her looks from. She runs her own fashion company, but she has a hired a figurehead as the image of the company. My daughter hates attention."

He sighed in contentment, "My grandkids, Armano and Antonia, are fraternal twins with different genders. My grandson is a copy of his dad in looks." He looked disappointed and annoyed much to Alex's amusement. He really must dislike the guy.

"And it's that looks that is getting him way too much attention," Jean grinned at that info. "He is already popular with the ladies, and he takes full advantage of it in getting what he wants."

They reached the elevator and waited for it to arrive. "As for Antonia, she took her looks from her mother. It pisses me off because she attracts way too much attention from boys already. Even though they are just five, I've gotten many complaints from her that boys are trying to kiss the prettiest girl in their class. Luckily my grandson is there to hit them when they try it; I don't care if their teachers complain about how his 'violent tendencies' might affect him later on in his life." Jean mock emphasized on his grandson's violence with air quotes.

Alex chucked at Jean's predicament, "It seems you have your hands full with them."

"Yes, I do and more. They are both geniuses. Armano has a fashion sense that belied his age. He obviously inherited that from his mother. All clothes and accessories in his closet were all handpicked by him that it still stumps me till today. As for Antonia, she has an above average IQ. The school wanted me to let her skip some grades, but she rejected it. She wanted to stay with her brother."

The elevator door opens for its next occupant. Before Jean entered, he turned to Alex with a serious expression, "Alexander, I do wonder why you requested for the postponement of the merger. This is off record of course."

Alex was nervous about the sudden change in topic, but he didn't express it. It was a terrible idea, businesswise, to advertise your company problems to other rivalling companies but he had a feeling that Jean wouldn't say anything. He hoped.

"Well, there has been some proof of embezzlement within Price Incorporate. We have yet to find the perpetrators. If we don't find them during the four months that we agreed to extend our final meeting, we will be forced to cancel the coming merger under the grounds of inconsistencies in our audit."

Jean just nodded in understanding, "I see. I've been in your shoes at a point in my life so I will accept your need for more time. If you do need any help, do call me." He called up for the elevator.

Alex was sometimes confused about Jean's decision for the merger. No one just gives his life's work to another person they had never met. To be honest, he was a bit wary of Jean's intentions. "If you don't mind me as asking Jean, why did you choose my company for the merger? Why choose me to run your empire? Isn't it more convenient that you chose a company from Europe than the US?

Won't it cause you some problems with some people?"

Jean smirked to himself and Alex like he had no worries in the world. "Trust me. There are no issues that will arise from it.

"You're a good man, Alexander." The French CEO entered the elevator and turned to him, "It's a good man that I want to run my company."

The doors closed and Alex was left with more questions than answers. Alex shook off his confusion and headed for his office. Just when it entered his line of sight, Jane accosted him in the hallway. She seemed nervous.

"Mr. Price, you have guests waiting."

"Who are they?"

She steadily grew more nervous by the second, "I do not know. They only said it was urgent. I had informed Mr. Collins about it, and he is with them in the office."

Alex dismissed her and went inside. He saw Chris talking to two dark haired individuals dressed in a grey suits and white shirts. They saw him and immediately got out of their seats, along with Chris, for a handshake.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Price. I am FBI Agent David Baker, and this is my partner, Agent Edward Miller and we were given your case by the NYPD." Both agents showed him their badges.

'The FBI? Is this for real?'

Chris gestured his need to leave as they ended their introductions. Alex nodded to him before going to his seat. The Agents sat back down and started to explain why they were involved with the case.

"Mr. Price, we were handed your case because the person involved in the embezzlement was tagged in another case of ours. The person transferred the stolen funds into an offshore account that has been under our investigation for a while now. Plus, the funds taken from you are over fifty million dollars and it was transferred to another country, so it left the NYPD's jurisdiction quickly."

Alex accepted the explanation, but he was curious, "What is this other case that involves the supposed thief?"

Miller didn't even blink before he rebuffed him, "I am sorry to say this, but we can't tell you anything. From what we see, your case doesn't intertwine with the other so discretion is in order until we find substantial proof that they are related."

'Well, sorry for prying,' he though in defence. "I see. How is the investigation going?"

"From what we have gathered so far, the owner of the offshore account belongs to someone named Benito Mussolini. Do you know anyone by that name, Mr. Price?" Baker inquired.

That name sounds Italian, "I don't know anyone bearing that name. I'm sorry."

"It's no problem." He gestured to his partner, who opened a file that I just noticed was on the desk in front of them. Miller brought forth some familiar documents and handed them to Alex. They were copies of the false documents of the embezzled funds. Our signatures were circled out with a red marker.

"We had a test done on those documents and it's safe to say that we have ruled you and your partners out as suspects. The document showed that all the signatures are the same."

In Alex's thoughts, he deadpanned at the ludicrous statement, 'Isn't it supposed to be the same.'

They caught on to my incredulity and Miller said, "The signatures in each document are exactly the same. No matter how many times you sign your signature, it can't be 100% the same. All these signatures were scanned on the documents from an original one."

'Oh. I finally understand' Alex thought.

The agent continued, "We also have our suspicions that the name of the account might be a pseudonym to cover their tracks."

"'Their tracks?'"

"The complexity of how these documents were executed and hidden from you and your associates show that it might be more than one person under your employ that is involved."

That shocked Alex considering he valued loyalty and honesty with his employees. He goes out of his way to be involved in their lives and help them if they had problems and some of them decided that it was to their benefit to screw him over.

He sighed in frustration, rubbing his temple to stave off the incoming headache.

"That is all the information that we have gathered for now. I will update you on the progress of our investigation." Baker said before both Agents got up from their seats making Alex get up from his.

The CEO shook hands with the Agents just before they prepared on leaving his office, "Thanks for the information, Agent Baker, Agent Miller"

"You're welcome," replied Baker as he reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and handed his contact to Alex. "This has my contact. Please do reach me if there is anything that can help us with the investigation. Once more, Mr. Price, be discrete."

Alex accepted the card and placed it in his drawer. He escorted them out of the office, once more thanking them for their help.

Jane entered the office, along with him, looking concerned. "Mr. Price, is there a problem?"

Her question was obviously about the unexpected guests that had just left. He wasn't a fool to answer her truthfully. Jane has shown her efficiency and loyalty to him for four years but so did many of his employees. After what the Feds had informed him about some traitorous staffs in his midst and the betrayal of his ex-wife, he had learnt not to trust anyone to the fullest, not even his friends or family.

"Not really. They were Private Investigators. I paid them to for a background check on Romaine Enterprise. I can't really take any risk when it comes to a possible merger, Jane." It was complex lie that no one would suspect is false, especially if the agents come to the office often.

Jane nodded in acceptance to Alex's reply and informed him of his next appointment.

He can't seem to catch a break again.

...In a mansion found in Upper West Manhattan, the head of the Kingston family is seen destroying everything he could lay his hands on in his living room. The tables were tipped over and broken, couches kicked away, rare vases shattered on the floor, framed pictures were tossed around, and expensive paintings were torn to pieces. It was like a tornado was released in the room.

In the middle of all the wreckage, Jonathan stood, huffing out deep breathes, ignoring his bleeding hand. He was angry, but he finally had release. He sat on the closest seat and tried to calm his steaming rage.

He noticed his second wife's form as she tried to slither away from the wrecked scene. He was suddenly reminded of why he was pissed again. He got up and grabbed her before she could leave.

A scream elicited out of Adeline's mouth as she struggled for her freedom. He ignored her just as he tossed her to the closest sofa.

"You're just like them. You're a snake, a fraud and a manipulator." He stepped back suddenly and combs his hair with his hands, the smell of alcohol permeating from him showed that he was partially drunk. "Get out!"

Adeline didn't waste any time in leaving the room to the bedroom. If she had turned back, she would've seen the dark smile that her husband gave to her retreating form.

Jonathan's hysterical demeanour calmed suddenly as he reached for his phone in his back pocket and called an acquaintance, "It's done."

Meanwhile, Adeline was contemplating on what just happened, sitting in her comfy queen-sized bed. Her brown hair was wild as her blue eyes darted all over the room for answers. She suspected that the 'them' Jonathan kept was referring to his ex-wife and eldest daughter, but she couldn't be sure. Sure, she was elated that Jonathan was suffering because of those two but she had always been paranoid. Jonathan had never ever attacked her until now and she wondered about the changes she had been observing in him for some months.

She didn't know what triggered the change, but she would be damned if she was in the crossfire of his wrath because of it. She grabbed her phone from the side table to call her daughter, adjusting her negligee to bring order around herself.

"Natasha, I need something from you."

"Good evening, mother. How can I help you?" Natasha's voice was dull with indifference. It was obvious she didn't want to speak to the woman that spawned her.

"Don't you dare give me that tone of voice? I just need your help with your father."

"Oh, what happened to father?" Natasha's voice was full of concern making Adeline deadpan. It annoyed Adeline to find out that her daughter could care less about her, but her father was an exception.

"Your father tore down the entire living room into pieces and almost attacked me some time ago. His change in attitude for the past months is also very glaring for me not to notice. I need you to find out why he's like that."

"I'm not your servant that you can command me to do anything for you, mother. I will call dad and ask him what's going on but it's not because you ordered me but because I care more for him than you."

Natasha cut the call on her fuming mother before she could retort.

"That damned ungrateful brat! If she really knew what I am capable off, she wouldn't be wagging her tongue at me."

Adeline dropped her phone back where it was and lay down, already dressed in her night gown. She knew that if her daughter couldn't get answers, she would have to get it from somewhere else.

And she knew who to ask to obtain it...