Chapter 27
Sherry
The Carmichael wedding was closing in. There was a month until the day, and everything had been running smoothly.
Almost too smoothly. While Chardonnay continued to build her case against Gold Crest, I kept waiting for more sabotage, or for Ben to be greeted by his father’s goons again, but it had been eerily quiet.
“Maybe your father realized he was outsmarted and outnumbered,” I said to Ben as we shared lunch in my office before my phone call with Domenique to go over the finalization of the seating chart and vendor confirmations.
Ben arched a brow and popped a grape into his mouth. “My father doesn’t walk away quietly. If it’s quiet, it’s because he’s planning something.”
I sighed, leaning in my chair, resting my salad fork on the edge of the container.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. The only good thing is that the town hall meeting is before the wedding.
Once he knows he can’t make us look bad, he’ll have to put his tail between his legs and scamper off.
” I picked up my fork and froze. “But what if he still comes after us? What if he ruins this wedding? What if something goes wrong?”
“No,” Ben stated fast and abruptly. “I won’t let that happen. We’re prepared. We have eyes everywhere.”
He had worked with Wyatt, Laurent, Franc, and Rhone to set up cameras all over the property. Every building’s alarm system had been upgraded and tested. You talked with Maury. He can only take cancelations from you directly in person.”
“Yes, but I can’t help but think about the lost footage of our security tapes. We wanted to find out who destroyed Murray’s furniture, and we got a loop. We wouldn’t even have noticed it if it wasn’t for Rose.”
“I think she missed her calling in the FBI.”
Ben leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“You have every right to be worried, Sher, but we’re not oblivious anymore.
If anything, we’re five steps ahead of him, and we’re not waiting for him to make the next move.
Char is going to destroy him and any chances he has to come to Vine Valley and spread his venom. ”
“You got that damn straight.” Chardonnay stood in the doorway, laptop in hand, and revenge in her eyes. “I’m here to show you exactly how I’m going to do that.”
She placed her laptop down on my desk and clicked into a presentation.
“Does that say sixty-two slides?” Ben asked.
“It was seventy-five, but Brady told me to cut down, or I’d lose everyone’s attention.”
“How many times has he listened to your presentation?” I asked.
“What version?” Char said with a smile.
“That man deserves a medal.”
“Why does he need a medal when he has me? Honestly, I’m much better than some hunk of metal that will just collect dust. And besides, he’s been busy with the distillery, so I have been having Ron as my audience.”
My eyebrow arched. “Brady’s dad?”
“It helps that he has Alzheimer’s, so he forgets the slides, and I get genuine reactions every time.”
Ben coughed into his hand, but I couldn’t hold my shock. “Char!”
“What?” She swatted her hand at me. “He loves it. Tells me that bastard’s not going to know what hit him. Sometimes he even claps at the end. It’s kind of become our thing.”
Ben shook his head, then stood and crossed over to her, peering down at the screen. “What are we looking at exactly?”
“A full exposé, if you will. Financial discrepancies, trademark infringements, illegal shell companies, police reports from all the drunk drivers leaving Gold Crest's facilities, the damage of Murray’s furniture, the voicemail, and the fake email that canceled our order, and how it traces to Gold Crest’s IP.
Everything I need to dismantle Gold Crest and publicly humiliate your father, which is what I’m looking most forward to. ”
“Remind me never to cross you,” Ben said.
She patted his shoulder. “Smart man.”
“We can’t prove he was involved with the furniture damage or the damage to the bottles of the reserve.”
“No.” Char picked a piece of dog hair, probably from Brady’s pup, Jack, off her lapel.
“But we don’t need concrete proof. We’ve got a pattern.
A motive. That’s enough to sway public opinion.
People will believe it because they’ll know he’s capable.
As Grandpa always said, ‘The proof is in the pudding, but sometimes you just need a good sniff’. ”
“He’d be proud of you.” If Grandpa was alive, he’d fight for the family and the legacy he created with everything he had. With him gone, Chardonnay has filled that void and taken the reins.
“He’d be proud of all of us. I couldn’t have done any of this alone.
Laurent and Franc have been making phone calls to their contacts in California.
Rose has been conducting her social media deep dives and whatever else she does with an internet connection and time.
Nero and Rhone have used their charm around town to get insight into Gold Crest, so we’ve all had a hand in it. ”
“And I brought him to your doorstep,” Ben said.
“No,” I stated. “He was here before you, which is why he sent you.”
“Then you turned double agent, so really you’re the reason we have any real chance at beating him at his own game,” Char added.
“You chose us,” I said.
A slight smile tugged at his mouth, his eyes meeting mine. “Always.”
“You’ve done more than enough to help us stop him,” Char said, breaking our gaze.
“I just hope it’s enough.” He thrust his hands into his pants and rocked on his heels.
“There are sixty-two slides,” I said.
Char tapped her keyboard. “Sixty-three, I just added another.” She glanced up. “We’re going to make him sorry he ever crossed us.”
Ben took my hand and squeezed. “Then let’s finish this for good.”