Chapter 2 - Daniel Recognizes The Waitress Immediately
Daniel did not ask Emma whether she was all right until he had placed
himself between her and Victoria.
Victoria tried to laugh it off.
“She’s being dramatic.”
Emma looked at Daniel.
“Don’t.”
He understood immediately.
Years earlier, Emma had worked for the Whitmore family foundation as a
junior accountant. She had discovered irregular payments and brought
them to Daniel, then the foundation’s legal adviser.
Daniel promised her one thing.
“If anyone pressures you because you reported this, call me.”
Three days later Emma resigned and disappeared from foundation work.
Daniel never learned why.
Now she was serving tables in a restaurant owned by one of the
foundation’s largest donors.
Victoria knew none of that.
Daniel asked quietly, “Why are you here?”
Emma glanced toward the private dining room.
“I was waiting for someone.”
Victoria interrupted.
“Daniel, she is a waitress.”
Emma turned.
“Yes. Tonight I am.”
The wording bothered Victoria.
Then a gray-haired man emerged from the private room carrying a leather
folder.
Victoria went pale.
Daniel recognized him too.
Henry Cole, the foundation’s former auditor, had vanished from public
life four years earlier after being accused of stealing nearly $900,000.
Emma had been waiting for him.
Henry placed the folder on an empty table.
“I think we should stop pretending I stole that money.”
Victoria’s hand tightened around her phone.
Daniel looked at her.
“Why are you afraid of him?”
Victoria answered too quickly.
“I’m not.”
Emma finally removed her stained apron.
“She should be.”
Henry opened the folder.
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Inside were copies of transfers Daniel had never seen.
Every one of them carried Victoria’s authorization code.
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