Chapter 5 - The Phantom Payments
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The revelation of the forged contract sent a new surge of energy through the room. Robert didn’t waste another second. He asked Chloe for the login credentials to the restaurant's bookkeeping software, which she had managed for the last eight months.
“He changed most of the passwords,” Chloe said, typing furiously on her laptop. “But I created a backdoor admin account when the system kept crashing last winter. He doesn't know about it.”
Within minutes, Robert was scrolling through the master ledgers of The Hearth. The restaurant was highly successful, bringing in thousands of dollars a night, but the profit margins didn't add up.
“Look at these outgoing wires,” Robert muttered, pointing to the screen with the tip of his silver pen. “Every single month, on the fifteenth, there are massive payouts to three separate consulting firms. Apex Consulting, Slate Advisory, and Vanguard Management.”
“I’ve never heard of them,” Chloe frowned, leaning closer. “We didn't have consultants. Damian handled all operations himself.”
Robert pulled up the state corporate registry on his own tablet. He typed in the names of the three firms. A moment later, he let out a low whistle.
“All three companies are registered as LLCs,” Robert explained, looking up at us grimly. “And all three share the exact same mailing address. A P.O. Box in downtown Atlanta.”
“Who owns the box?” I asked, my stomach tying itself into a knot.
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“It traces back to Damian’s private office,” Robert said. “Chloe, he wasn't just stealing your labor. He’s siphoning money out of his own restaurant. Over the last eight months, these payments total nearly two hundred thousand dollars. He’s laundering money, and he’s using your bookkeeping account to do it.”
My daughter covered her mouth, stifling a sob. She was legally tied to a man committing massive financial crimes.
