Chapter 6 - THE SECRET BENEATH MERIDIAN HARBOR
The independent audit uncovered the first major discrepancy.
Meridian Harbor Development had listed several properties at inflated acquisition values.
The supporting documents contained inconsistent dates.
Some invoices referenced companies that had been dissolved years earlier.
Others lacked evidence of legitimate services.
Evelyn reviewed the findings.
“This suggests a pattern.”
Roman nodded.
“Fraud?”
“Potentially. We need investigators to establish intent and responsibility.”
Nora studied the records.
Then stopped.
“What?”
Roman looked up.
She pointed to a company name.
Northpoint Advisory Services.
Her hands began trembling.
“That company appeared in the Halden & Pierce records.”
Evelyn leaned forward.
“Are you certain?”
Nora nodded.
“It was one of the intermediaries.”
They compared the old and new documents.
The connection was unmistakable.
Northpoint had appeared in both sets of transactions.
Three years apart.
Different cities.
Different investors.
The same pattern of suspicious billing.
Roman looked at Nora.
“You were right.”
She shook her head.
“Not yet.”
He frowned.
“What?”
“We still don't know who controls it.”
Later that evening, Marco arrived with new information.
Northpoint's historical records linked it to a trust managed by Salvatore Castiglione.
Roman went still.
“My uncle.”
Marco nodded.
Roman stared at the documents.
Salvatore had been his father's closest adviser.
He had helped Roman inherit the family businesses.
He had stood beside him at funerals.
Weddings.
Business negotiations.
And now his name appeared in the same financial network that had nearly killed Nora.
Roman looked toward the window.
May you like
For the first time, he understood that the danger wasn't outside his family.
It was inside.
