The Billionaires: The Stepbrothers (Lover's Triangle 3)

Karina neatly folded her linen napkin and placed it gently next to her plate. She’d only eaten half a grapefruit with a wedge of dry toast. She crossed her long, slender legs and clasped her hands in her lap.

“Anything else, Miss Drake?”

Scarlet peered at Michael and Sam again. A sense of dread slithered through her. Because Scarlet was about to go for the jugular. She tried to do it as politely as possible.

Squaring her shoulders, Scarlet asked Mrs. Vandenberg, “What happened to the insurance money?”

“Scarlet!” Sam shot her a sharp look.

She knew she was creating more strife. But she had the fiduciary responsibility to tie up all the loose ends. Even if it strained her relationship with Michael and Sam.

She had to persevere. She said, “There were deposits made into Michael’s and Sam’s accounts around the time the check was cut. But they’ve explained about their inheritances. You, however, didn’t prosper. That eighteen million dollars went into your personal account and then promptly vanished. As mysteriously as the artwork.”

Karina wrung

her hands in her lap. Ever so slightly. She took a few deep breaths and said, “The FBI cleared this family of all suspicion. Why are you still digging? What do you hope to gain?”

“I’m just looking for the truth, Mrs. Vandenberg. On my client’s behalf.”

Karina raised her hands in exasperation. “It’s no one’s business what I did with the insurance money. The claim was settled. I cashed the check. End of story.”

“My experience has been that there’s usually an epilogue when dealing with this sort of claim.”

“Well, in this case, you’re wrong.”

Scarlet was undeterred. She calmly said, “I understand you consider this a closed book. I’d like to as well. When I’ve exhausted all avenues that were open for pursuit. That’s why I’m asking where the funds went.”

“The money was allocated to another project,” Karina said between clenched teeth.

“Fascinating.” Scarlet smiled, trying to appear as nonassuming as possible.

Michael glanced at Scarlet and then Karina. He looked a bit perplexed. It was, after all, $18 million they were talking about.

Sam paced behind his chair, hands on his waist. Clearly agitated, but it was difficult to tell if it was because Scarlet had grilled his mother or because Karina was becoming just defensive and irritable enough to make her innocence doubtful. Still, Sam looked as though he’d jump in at any moment, if necessary.

Scarlet didn’t want to give him a reason to. Deep in her heart, she didn’t want to shatter his belief in his mother. Scarlet absolutely did not want Karina to be the villain. But she still needed to get to the root cause of Karina’s unease and pinpoint how both the paintings and the money had simply evaporated into thin air.

She dared to ask, “What other project was that money allocated to?”

Karina’s gaze narrowed. “It was a personal cause, Miss Drake.”

“Please understand, Mrs. Vandenberg, that vagueness doesn’t help.”

Karina hitched her chin and said, “And if I told you it was none of your business, Miss Drake?”

“That would imply you have something to hide, Mrs. Vandenberg.” Scarlet stared the woman down.

Sam drew up short. “This has gone far enough.”

Michael stood as well. He reached for the back of Scarlet’s chair once again.

She said, “I’m asking a simple question.”

“Scarlet, come on,” Sam coaxed, trying to reason with her. “The insurance company paid the claim. The FBI closed the case. There’s no authoritative governance for—”

“No, there isn’t,” Scarlet concurred. “Not since the statute of limitations ran out on the time to prosecute. Even though lying about the disappearance of your personal property and collecting from your insurance carrier is considered a felony. Punishable by incarceration. This isn’t a criminal investigation. However, there’s still a small window for the insurance company to file a civil suit and win compensatory damages. Fabrications on your part will only cause you more trouble down the line. Therefore, I highly recommend that you’re honest with me.”

“And if I tell you exactly where that money went, Miss Drake, will that be the end of this? Will you stop badgering me and my family?”