Chapter 5 - The Heir
Six months later.
Whitlock Capital collapsed under the weight of the federal investigation.
Richard Whitlock was forced into early retirement to avoid prison time.
Graham was not so lucky.
He and Sienna were both indicted for wire fraud, conspiracy, and extortion.
During the trial, they sat at opposite ends of the defense table, refusing to look at each other.
The partnership that had built my fake marriage ended in a federal courtroom.
I did not attend the sentencing.
I was too busy.
I had fully integrated the Mercer Maritime Trust into my luxury hospitality company.
I bought three new boutique hotels in Europe.
I expanded my charitable foundations.
I kept my maiden name.
One afternoon, I was walking through the lobby of my newest property in Manhattan.
A society reporter stopped me, asking for a comment on my ex-husband's ten-year prison sentence.
"Do you have any regrets about the marriage, Ms. Hart?" she asked.
I stopped and looked around the beautiful, thriving empire I had built and protected.
I thought about the green dress.
I thought about the safe.
I thought about the moment I realized my life was a business plan.
"No," I told the reporter with a polite smile. "I don't regret it."
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Because Graham Whitlock thought he was marrying a target.
He didn't realize he was marrying the woman who would end his entire dynasty.
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