Chapter 11 - The Hidden Eighth Company
There were seven restaurants.
But eight operating companies.
The eighth was called IL Management Services LLC.
David created it eighteen months earlier.
Every restaurant paid it 4% of gross revenue.
Owner:
David Tran, 80%.
His adult son Ethan, 20%.
Thomas stared at the figure.
Annual payments:
$3.4 million.
“What services?”
“Executive management.”
“David already receives salary.”
“Yes.”
“Ethan?”
Ethan was twenty-four.
He worked in New York in advertising.
Evelyn said:
“He performed no documented restaurant-management work.”
Thomas closed the folder.
This crossed another line.
David had begun shifting wealth to his family.
Not merely paying himself.
When confronted, David became defensive.
“I built something for my son.”
“With company money.”
“My company.”
“There it is again.”
David slammed his hand on the table.
“You have billions!”
Thomas stared at him.
Finally, the real resentment emerged.
“You don't need this money!”
Thomas answered quietly:
“Need has nothing to do with ownership.”
David laughed.
“Easy for you.”
“No.”
Thomas leaned forward.
“You think because I'm rich, stealing from me doesn't count.”
David looked away.
Thomas continued:
“And maybe I thought because I funded you, I always had the final word.”
Both men sat silently.
That was the first honest conversation they had had in years.
May you like
It did not fix anything.
But truth had finally entered the room.
