THE NEXT PHASE

Elena sat inside a federal interview room while television networks described her as a disgruntled wife who had crashed a historic hotel company and endangered forty thousand jobs.

The same commentators who ignored stolen wages now blamed her for the benefit suspension caused by Continuity’s contract.

Richard’s attorneys released old photographs of Elena working as a junior accountant and suggested that resentment toward wealthy clients had motivated her entire investigation.

Naomi was held in a separate room and accused of abusing her former regulatory position to manipulate the transfer of voting rights.

Margaret requested permission to speak with Elena without attorneys present.

She entered wearing a plain gray suit instead of gala jewelry, but her lack of luxury did not make her powerless.

Margaret admitted filing the complaint.

She said Continuity controlled private arbitrators, state courts and several Bellmont lenders.

A federal criminal case was the only mechanism capable of freezing the sale and forcing the hidden buyer’s records into discovery.

Elena stared at her.

Margaret had once again placed another woman’s reputation, freedom and safety onto a board without asking permission.

She called it strategy because she was not the one being photographed in handcuffs.

Margaret accepted the accusation but insisted the sacrifice had created forty-eight hours before the sale could close.

Naomi entered with her attorney and demanded the buyer’s true ownership records.

Margaret revealed that Continuity Capital was only a management company.

Its controlling shareholder was Edward Bellmont, Richard’s father and the architect of the Marital Integration Program.

For years, the family announced that Edward had retired to Europe after a stroke.

In reality, he moved beyond Bellmont Hotels and built a national business acquiring companies weakened by labor scandals.

Margaret had been his first experiment.

Elena had been selected as the final Bellmont bride because her original payroll audit could trigger the misconduct clause, collapse the family’s voting structure and make the hotels cheap enough for Edward to purchase through Continuity.

Even Elena’s resistance had been anticipated.

Margaret said she activated the secret proxy to place the sale inside federal jurisdiction before Edward could move it offshore.

Elena asked why Margaret had never exposed him earlier.

Margaret answered that she spent thirty-six years believing proximity to power was safer than returning to poverty.

A monitor on the wall activated.

An elegant elderly man appeared from a private office overlooking Lake Geneva.

Edward Bellmont smiled at Elena.