Chapter 4 - The Betrayal Inside Meridian
By morning, Meridian’s executive floor was locked down.
Sophia sat in a conference room with Adrian, Detective Grant and Meridian president Victoria Lang.
Victoria looked furious.
“Marcus Vale has worked here eleven years.”
Adrian slid photographs across the table.
“Then he had eleven years to learn where everything valuable was kept.”
Sophia studied the documents.
Shipments.
Certification numbers.
Internal valuations.
“What are they doing?”
Victoria looked at Adrian.
He answered.
“Replacing stones.”
Sophia stared at him.
“Replacing?”
“High-value stones leave Meridian with legitimate certification. Somewhere in transit, selected pieces are substituted with lower-grade stones or sophisticated synthetics. The originals disappear.”
Victoria said, “And the paperwork makes the substitutions harder to detect.”
Sophia understood.
“Ethan needed my access.”
“Yes,” Adrian said.
“But why me?”
“Because Marcus couldn’t repeatedly access those records without triggering an internal review.”
Victoria added, “An independent designer temporarily accessing archives would look normal.”
Sophia sat back.
Ethan had not found her because he missed her.
He had found her because she had become useful.
Again.
Detective Grant entered.
“We picked up Marcus.”
Victoria stood.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing useful yet.”
Adrian’s phone buzzed.
He read the message.
Then looked at Sophia.
“What?”
“Ethan made bail.”
Sophia’s chair scraped against the floor.
“What?”
Grant nodded reluctantly.
“The burglary-related charges alone weren’t enough to hold him while we build the larger case.”
Sophia’s breathing shortened.
Adrian noticed.
“He won’t reach you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How?”
“Because you’re not going back to that apartment.”
Sophia stared at him.
“You don’t decide where I live.”
Adrian paused.
Then nodded once.
“You’re right.”
That surprised her.
He corrected himself.
“I recommend you don’t go back.”
“Better.”
Victoria almost smiled.
Grant’s phone rang.
She answered.
Her expression sharpened.
“When?”
She listened.
“We’re coming.”
She hung up.
“Marcus wants to talk.”
Twenty minutes later, Marcus Vale sat across from them in an interview room.
He looked exhausted.
“I didn’t start it.”
Grant said, “Who did?”
Marcus glanced toward Sophia.
“Cole.”
Sophia felt cold.
Marcus continued.
“He approached me almost a year ago.”
“Before Sophia joined Meridian?” Adrian asked.
“Yes.”
That meant Ethan’s interest in Meridian had begun while they were still together.
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
“He knew private collectors willing to buy undocumented stones. I knew the shipping system.”
“And Sophia?” Grant asked.
“When she got the contract, Ethan called me.”
Sophia whispered, “He knew?”
“He’d been watching your career.”
Her stomach turned.
Marcus continued.
“He said he could get access through you.”
“He couldn’t.”
“I know.”
“So he broke into my accounts.”
Marcus nodded.
Adrian asked, “Where are the stolen stones?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Ethan has the last shipment.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
Adrian stared at him.
Marcus looked away.
“Where?”
“A private storage room near the Diamond District.”
Grant leaned forward.
“Address.”
Marcus gave it.
Then added something that made Sophia’s blood run cold.
“He has copies of Sophia’s designs too.”
She stood.
“What?”
“He planned to use them.”
“For what?”
Marcus looked ashamed.
“To create a competing collection using stolen stones.”
Sophia stared at the wall.
Ethan had once laughed at her ambition.
Now he intended to steal it.
Adrian rose.
“Detective.”
Grant nodded.
“I’ll get a warrant.”
Sophia said, “I’m coming.”
Both of them turned.
Grant immediately said, “No.”
Adrian said nothing.
Sophia looked at him.
“You think I should stay behind too?”
“No.”
Grant frowned.
“Moretti.”
Adrian kept his eyes on Sophia.
“I think she knows those designs better than anyone.”
Sophia nodded.
Adrian added:
May you like
“But she stays beside me.”
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