Chapter 5 - THE MOTHER THEY CALLED A SEAMSTRESS.
Victoria accused Margaret of inventing a story to divide the marriage.
Margaret produced Lillian Vale’s original employment file. She had designed the signature uniforms worn across Sterling hotels and surrendered royalties to rescue the company during bankruptcy.
Andrew later classified her as an outside vendor and erased her ownership.
Victoria stared at her husband.
“You told me she wasted everything.”
Andrew replied that Lillian signed a settlement.
Evelyn reviewed it.
“She signed after your family threatened to cancel Victoria’s boarding-school tuition.”
Victoria’s anger collapsed into humiliation.
The woman who mocked workers for lacking pedigree had been raised on money taken from one.
Rosa did not comfort her.
“Finding out you were exploited does not erase the people you exploited.”
Victoria removed herself from the hotel board and placed her jewelry profits under review.
Then investigators opened Lillian’s royalty account.
Millions had been withdrawn by someone using Victoria’s verified signature.
Victoria had never seen the transfers.
The authorization device was registered to Evelyn’s hotel office.
May you like
Andrew smiled faintly.
“Now ask who the real thief is.”
