Chapter 7: The Final Eviction
Three weeks later, the dust had settled into a permanent, suffocating nightmare for Eric.
His life hadn't just unraveled; it had completely disintegrated. The state bar had suspended his law license pending a massive fraud investigation. His luxury cars had been repossessed in the middle of the night, and his remaining "friends" in high society had vanished the moment they realized his name was corporate poison.
I, on the other hand, had never been busier. I had taken the massive capital I had clawed back in the divorce settlement and launched my own boutique acquisitions firm. I traded my sensible, subdued wardrobe for sharp, tailored power suits and stilettos that sounded like gunshots on the marble floors of my new corner office.
It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon. I was reviewing a lucrative merger contract when my intercom buzzed.
"Ma'am," my assistant's voice came through, sounding slightly alarmed. "Eric is in the lobby. He bypassed the downstairs security by slipping in behind a delivery crew. He is demanding to see you. Should I call building security?"
I paused, setting my gold fountain pen down. A cold, calculating smile spread across my face.
"No," I replied smoothly. "Send him in."
The heavy glass doors of my office swung open, and Eric stumbled in. He looked horrific. The arrogant, polished lawyer I had married was gone. He had lost weight, his suit hung loosely on his frame, and his eyes were bloodshot with a manic, starving desperation.
"You have to stop this," Eric choked out, his voice cracking as he approached my massive mahogany desk. "My accounts are frozen. The firm is suing me for breach of contract. I have twenty dollars to my name. You won, okay? You won! Just call your lawyers and release the lien on the downtown condo. Let me sell it so I can survive."
I leaned back in my leather chair, watching him squirm with detached, clinical curiosity.
"I don't control the lien on your condo, Eric," I stated flatly.
"Then who does?" he shouted, tears of pure, selfish frustration welling in his eyes.
The door to my private adjoining suite opened, and Sebastian stepped into the office. He was wearing a dark, custom-tailored suit, radiating an aura of absolute, terrifying dominance.
Eric froze, the color draining entirely from his face. He looked from Sebastian to me, the crushing realization of exactly who he had been fighting finally breaking his mind.
"I control the lien, Eric," Sebastian said, his voice a low, lethal baritone that made the temperature in the room plummet. He walked over, standing directly behind my chair, his hands resting possessively on my shoulders. "Cross Capital purchased the debt on your property two days ago."
"You... you bought my debt?" Eric whispered, stumbling backward.
"We bought it," I corrected, looking up at Sebastian before turning my cold gaze back to my ex-husband. "And we called it due at 8:00 AM this morning. You are currently in default."
"I have nowhere to go!" Eric sobbed, falling to his knees on the carpet. "Ashley is living in a women's shelter! I have absolutely nothing left! Please!"
"You had a loyal wife, a beautiful home, and a flawless reputation," I said, my voice echoing coldly in the vast office. "You threw it all away for an affair and a pathetic attempt to steal my inheritance. You built your own cage, Eric. We just locked the door."
Sebastian stepped out from behind my desk, towering over the broken man on the floor.
"Building security is waiting in the hallway," Sebastian warned, his eyes completely devoid of mercy. "If I ever see your face in this city again, I won't just ruin your finances. I will ensure you spend the rest of your natural life in a federal penitentiary. Get out."
Eric didn't argue. He scrambled to his feet and ran out of the office, his sobs echoing down the hallway until the heavy doors clicked shut.
The air in the room felt infinitely cleaner.
May you like
"That was incredibly satisfying," I breathed, turning to face Sebastian.
"He was a parasite," Sebastian murmured, pulling me up from my chair and into his solid, warm embrace. "And now, the past is officially burned to the ground. We have an empire to build."
