Yet every time some other image entered her mind, she hesitated. It got to the point where she upped the ante of her movements so it would be over faster. As soon as Henry came, she could go to sleep and hope the next day was kinder to her mind and gentler on her soul.
Even though the spite continued to simmer, and her awakening fury almost made her choke.
He had no idea.Worth it.
Chapter 18
Claustrophobia
To the sound of contractors tearing the place next door apart, Monica had no choice but to invite her team of accountants into the main room of Le Salon instead of cramming them into her office.
She was overseeing a remodel, preparing for work that night,andbeing fed dire information about how the IRS was about to blow her ass wide open.
“How they have the means to do this right now has me at odds with what I know about the state of the IRS,” Monica brusquely said to Lyse Fischer, who sat with her team on one of the couches. She had offered them flavored water from the bar, but the only one to take her up on it was an associate with dry mouth. “You’d think they’d be too busy trying to save their hides instead of going after the prominent wife of a local billionaire. Not to mention the personal taxes Henry and I pay! Millions. Every year, we pay millions in taxes.”
“We’re aware, Mrs. Warren.” Lyse provided her client with more papers. “This investigation has been going on long enough that they have the information required to move ahead. Add on that this is specifically about your businesses… well, it opens the door to moral panic. The agent in charge is particularly known for his social conservatism and probably sold the investigation to the higher-ups who would rather he focus on other things.”
“Right. Smear my name and put me in my place, all while ‘liberating’ my employees or whatever hogwash I’ll hear in the whispers that surround me.” Monica had a headache, and it was making her curter than usual. “Meanwhile, they’ll say I owe way more in taxes than I do. Because I’ve done nothing but follow your firm’s advice, Ms. Fischer.”
That was an implied question.You have never led me astray, yes?Monica already knew the answer. Not only was this firm one of the best in the state, but they came highly recommended by other people who made a lot of money in underground industries. Even the Monroes used Lyse Fischer, running The Dark Hour’s taxes through her and the team she represented.
“There is… something.”
Monica perked up, anxiety keeping her awake as she looked between the sour faces before her and the daytime view from Le Salon’s windows. “Dare I ask?”
Lyse motioned for one of her associates to hand her a folder. “Considering what we saw coming, I decided to dig deeper into your investments. Namely, the investments coming intoyourbusinesses. It’s no secret that Le Château saw a dip in earnings through the pandemic.”
“Despite my best efforts, yes.” What was Monica supposed to do, though? For several months, they couldn’t have guests. Her employees were working online, Le Château deigning to open their own FansOnly account until Monica could pay for their own dedicated online server to be launched.Not our finestmoment.It went against a lot of her “in the flesh” old-school way of thinking that she had developed into a successful business over the past decade, but she would be dead before she didn’t do everything to ensure her employees’ earnings.I could weather the storm, but not them.Not just the pros: it was the chef, maids, driver, landscapers…
“Many of these investors were easy for me to cross-reference with your old records,” Lyse continued. “For example, Bliss Haven, Inc. has been a constant investor in your enterprises for the past several years.”
“Yes. That’s Ethan’s company.” Named after his wife, when he needed a shell company to mask some of his “naughtier” investments from public knowledge. While it was no secret that Cole Enterprises had invested heavily in Monica’s startup – essentiallypayingfor the property – the older Ethan got, the more he took the advice to be careful about what his name was actually on. “Many of those companies change names, though.”
“Indeed. For example, I cannot figure out who owns Onyx Blue.”
Onyx Blue?That didn’t ring a bell for Monica, either. She opened the folder and flipped through until she saw a profit/loss statement beneath a generic logo sporting the words “Onyx” and “Blue.” The address was based out of Wyoming.Good luck figuring out who that is.Wyoming was where anyone went to start a corporation that they wanted to keep as private as possible.
“They have been one of your biggest investors the past two years,” Lyse pointed out. “We think they may have been what tipped off the IRS. Do you see those numbers?”
Monica shuffled through the papers, her anxiety spiking alongside her heart rate as she realized that some of her surplus funds for not only the Château, but the Salon’s expansion was due to this “Onyx Blue” pumping millions of dollars into hercorporation.I don’t normally look at these things anymore.Since marrying, becoming a mother, and balancing two big hospitality businesses, Monica had handed off more of the money tracking to Lyse’s firm. So, not only was she not aware of this Onyx Blue, but she had no idea that they had pumped enough money into her business that they would now be a majority shareholder if she had… well, shares.
“What the…?”
“That’s what we’re asking ourselves,” Lyse said. “Perhaps if you can find out who owns them and why they’re so invested in your business, we can clear things up. According to last month’s profit/loss statement, you still have some of these millions in an account.”
“Yes, but the remodel…”
“Find out who’s behind Onyx Blue, and we’ll go from there. It must be someone close to you. Or at least someone who knowsyouwell.”
Monica endured the rest of the meeting with a migraine forming. Yet when she closed her eyes and waited for the worst to subside, she thought of a couple of contenders for owner of Onyx Blue. She just needed to get some outside opinions.
She called the first person she thought of. No, not the person she thought might own the shell company… someone who might know whodid.
“I’ve already called ahead.” She said that to her sister-in-law, who manned the front desk in Ethan’s office. “He said he should be able to work me in. It’s a bit of an emergency.”
Nadia looked up from the large whiteboard calendar embedded in her desk. The way her pupils expanded andcontracted suggested that she knew this somehow concerned the family they had both married into, but this wasnotthe time to be asking questions. Nadia had once told Monica,“I know I’m the bottom of the totem pole around here, and that’s fine with me.”As soon as Eva knew something, she’d tell her wife, and Monica was content with that as well.
So, this was strictly business.
