Full Story : He Lied To His Fiancée About Owning The Lodge, Right Before The True CEO Fired Him!

Chapter 10 - Unraveling the Forgery

The aftermath of Thomas’s arrest was chaotic. The lodge was swarming with investigators, auditors, and reporters. I spent the next 48 hours in endless meetings with lawyers, unraveling the massive web of deceit Thomas had spun.

But one glaring issue remained: the contract Alexander Vance held.

Even with Thomas in jail for embezzlement, the document transferring 51% of the shares to Alexander’s holding company appeared legally sound on paper. If Alexander chose to enforce it, the lodge would still be his. He could still gut it, sell the assets, and walk away richer.

We sat in the silent boardroom on a Tuesday morning. Just the two of us. The paperwork lay on the table between us.

"My forensic accountants verified the signature," Alexander said quietly, breaking the silence. He tapped the ink at the bottom of the page. "It’s a perfect forgery. Thomas must have traced an old document of your grandfather’s. Legally... it’s void. I have no claim to this company, Elena."

I looked at him. The 'Undertaker' of Wall Street, the man who ruthless dismantled empires, was handing me my grandfather's legacy back without a fight.

"You lost millions in the initial transaction with Thomas," I pointed out. "If you walk away, you take a massive loss."

Alexander leaned back in his chair, a small, genuine smile touching his lips. "I’ve made enough money in my life, Elena. But I haven't met many people worth losing it for. You fought for your people. You fought for this place. I’d be a fool to destroy that."

He picked up a gold fountain pen and, with a swift, decisive motion, drew a massive 'X' through the contract, signing his initials at the bottom. He pushed the ruined document toward me.

"The Alpine Lodge is yours, Miss Sterling. One hundred percent."

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. "I don't want it to be one hundred percent mine," I said, a sudden realization washing over me.

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You said it yourself, the lodge has debt. It needs capital to modernize, to expand the employee benefits program I promised on Facebook," I said, leaning forward, my business mind clicking into high gear. "I don't want a corporate raider. I want a partner. A legitimate, equal partner. Fifty-fifty."

Alexander stared at me, his stormy eyes searching my face. Slowly, a smirk spread across his face. "Are you proposing a merger, Elena?"

"I'm offering you the best deal you've ever made, Alexander."