As American born, James Lewis Carter had inherited his father company, pampered since he was born, he never lacked anything in his life, so he was used to order people around. He had met Ludovick Rembrandt on one trip to Paris, where he started to buy paintings sculptures and art pieces from his daughter's company.
After the sad passing of the head of the company, the old man had taken over. That was his opportunity to fulfill fake orders using James's company to create fake art pieces. That was the guise that he had with him, and it was bringing him more and more money by the day.
But James Carter wanted more, the old man had offered him to be the head of the company in Paris, that was his second plan. Marrying Melissa to this powerful magnate, he had controlled her life her for so long, so he had invited him to her birthday party.