Chapter 10 - The Woman They Needed Gone
Rachel built the timeline across an entire conference-room wall.
Edward hid Orion’s lineage.
Samuel Pike threatened legal action.
Victor proposed Asterion.
Celeste became its beneficiary.
Then Maya questioned unexplained breeding fees.
Three days later, four hundred thousand dollars moved using her credentials.
Two weeks later, she left Kentucky.
Three months later, Orion’s registry profile was replaced.
“It was planned,” Maya said.
Rachel nodded.
“They needed you out before they changed the record.”
Thomas stood near the window.
“I should have seen it.”
“So should I.”
“No.” His voice broke slightly. “I helped them.”
Maya turned.
Thomas looked sick.
“What does that mean?”
He sat.
“In 2022, Victor gave me a stack of veterinary releases. He said Edward needed them processed while he recovered from surgery.”
Maya remembered Lena’s chain-of-custody form.
“Did you sign it?”
“I signed the bottom of the stack without reading every page.”
Maya went cold.
“The sample transfer.”
Thomas nodded.
“I may have authorized the package that carried Black Atlas’s hair.”
Silence.
Maya wanted to scream.
Instead she asked, “Did you know?”
“No.”
“You should have read it.”
“I know.”
His shame was worse than any accusation she could make.
Rachel asked, “Would you testify to that?”
“Yes.”
“Even if it exposes you to civil liability?”
“Yes.”
Maya looked at the man who had worked for her family nearly four decades.
Victor had not built his scheme only from evil people.
He had built it from tired people.
Trusting people.
Frightened people.
People who made small compromises.
People like Maya.
Rachel’s phone rang.
She listened.
Then looked at Maya.
“The forensic examiner was approved.”
“Good.”
“Not entirely.”
The court also appointed an interim corporate monitor because both sides accused the other of misconduct.
Victor remained CFO but could no longer make transfers above fifty thousand dollars without approval.
A meaningful victory.
For six hours.
Then Celeste held a press conference.
Maya watched from Rachel’s office.
Celeste stood on the estate steps in a cream suit.
“My late husband made regrettable decisions under immense financial pressure. Maya Bennett was involved in similar unauthorized transactions during her tenure.”
Maya shut off the television.
“She’s tying me to Dad’s fraud.”
“She’s trying to establish shared corruption,” Rachel said.
“My remediation payment.”
“They haven’t released it yet.”
“They will.”
Rachel’s expression hardened.
“Then we release the legitimate invoices first.”
Maya nodded.
Another power reversal.
She had evidence.
Celeste had narrative.
And narrative moved faster.
The forensic accountant’s first report arrived that evening.
Asterion’s money had flowed into five consulting entities.
Three traced to Victor.
One paid Samuel Pike.
The fifth was called CV Legacy Trust.
Beneficiary: Celeste Bennett.
Four million dollars had entered the trust over two years.
Maya stared at Celeste’s name.
“Four million.”
Rachel nodded.
“Used mostly for real estate.”
“What real estate?”
Rachel opened a property record.
A 140-acre farm twenty-seven miles from Bennett Estate.
Purchased through a trust.
Private barn.
Secure fencing.
No public breeding operation.
Maya frowned.
“Why does Celeste need another farm?”
Thomas entered carrying a cryogenic inventory manifest.
His expression was grim.
“Maybe she doesn’t.”
He pointed to a shipping address.
The missing semen inventory had been transferred to the same property.
Maya’s phone vibrated.
A message from Jonah Ellis.
Victor asked me which trailer Orion prefers.
Maya stood immediately.
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
They drove back to the estate.
Orion was still there.
Maya felt relief.
Then anger at herself for showing panic in front of Victor.
He was standing outside the stall.
“You seem nervous,” he said.
“Stay away from him.”
“The horse is under corporate management.”
“Not transportable under the injunction.”
Victor smiled.
“I know.”
Maya stepped closer.
“So why ask about trailers?”
“Routine planning.”
She should have stopped.
Rachel had warned her not to reveal how much she knew.
Instead Maya said, “I know about the farm.”
For the first time, Victor’s smile disappeared.
Only for a second.
But Maya saw it.
She immediately knew she had made a mistake.
Victor recovered.
“What farm?”
She did not answer.
His eyes settled on her.
Then he nodded slowly.
“Your father used to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Celebrate when he found half the truth.”
Victor walked away.
At 2:11 the next morning, Maya’s phone rang.
Jonah was shouting.
“Orion’s gone.”
Maya sat upright.
“What?”
“A trailer left through the north gate.”
“Call the police.”
“I did.”
“Where’s security?”
“Victor’s people say it was an approved quarantine transfer.”
Maya was already pulling on her boots.
“Approved by whom?”
May you like
Jonah’s answer came in a whisper.
“Celeste.”
