The Single Dad Adopted a Homeless Girl—15 Years Later She Walked Into Court and Saved His Empire
Chapter 4
Daniel didn’t sleep that night.
The next morning, he called his chief financial officer.
“Bring me every transaction from the last five years.”
His CFO looked confused.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
By noon, Daniel’s conference room was covered with documents.
Lily sat at the end of the table.
She worked quietly.
For three hours, she said almost nothing.
Then she circled a series of transactions.
“These.”
Daniel leaned over.
“What am I looking at?”
“Payments to a company called Northstar Holdings.”
“I know Northstar.”
“You shouldn’t.”
He frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Northstar doesn’t exist.”
The room went silent.
Daniel’s CFO looked pale.
“That can’t be.”
Lily pushed several documents forward.
“Same account. Different shell companies. Money enters from Brooks Development and comes back through three intermediaries.”
Daniel stared.
“How much?”
“Twenty-eight million dollars.”
His chair scraped backward.
“Twenty-eight million?”
Lily nodded.
“And that’s only what I could trace.”
Daniel looked at his CFO.
“Who authorized these?”
The CFO checked the records.
“Electronic approvals from your office.”
“I never approved them.”
“I know.”
“Then who did?”
Nobody answered.
Lily looked at him.
“Someone had access to your digital signature.”
Daniel suddenly remembered Michael.
Before he died, Michael had warned him.
“Daniel, if anything happens to me, don’t trust the board.”
Daniel had dismissed it as paranoia.
Now he wasn’t so sure.
That afternoon, Daniel received a call from his attorney.
“Daniel, you need to come to the office.”
“Why?”
“There are allegations of financial fraud.”
Daniel stood.
“From whom?”
“The board.”
His eyes went to Lily.
“What allegations?”
“They claim you personally authorized the transfers.”
Daniel felt the floor disappear beneath him.
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
“No,” Daniel said. “You don’t understand.”
He looked at the documents.
“They’re trying to take the company.”
Lily quietly closed her laptop.
“Not just the company.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
“They’re trying to make you look guilty.”
That evening, federal investigators arrived at Brooks Development.
News vans appeared outside.
Headlines spread online.
BILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER ACCUSED OF FRAUD
BROOKS EMPIRE FACES COLLAPSE
Daniel’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
Then his board voted to suspend him.
By midnight, his bank accounts were frozen.
Lily stood beside him in the dark kitchen.
“You need a lawyer.”
“I have three.”
“Get another.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You should stay out of this.”
“No.”
“Lily.”
“You’re my father.”
“This isn’t your fight.”
She shook her head.
“You taught me that family doesn’t leave when things become difficult.”
Daniel stared at her.
She continued.
“So I’m staying.”
He hugged her.
Neither noticed the shadow standing outside the kitchen window.
A man watched them from across the street.
Then he raised his phone.
“They found the money trail,” he said.
A voice answered.
“Then remove the girl.”
