Chapter 2 - The Access Logs
The executive office of the Azure Meridian occupied the highest point of the cliffside resort. It was a masterpiece of dark walnut, floor-to-ceiling glass, and absolute, terrifying silence.
I sat behind the massive desk my father had commanded for three decades. Andreas Leandros, perfectly poised in his tailored suit, set a silver tablet in front of me.
"The access logs for the Helios suite, Miss Atherton, as requested," Andreas said quietly.
I looked at the screen. The digital footprint of my husband's betrayal was absolute.
3:12 PM: Caleb Ellison (Primary Guest Card) - Entry.
3:18 PM: Nina Vale (Guest Card issued by C. Ellison) - Entry.
Caleb hadn't just snuck his mistress into the room. He had confidently registered her under his name, assuming I was miles away, stranded at the airport or wandering the streets of Athens, waiting for him to finish his fabricated "board call." He was celebrating his upcoming European expansion deal with the woman he had likely been sleeping with for months, drinking the champagne I had ordered to celebrate five years of marriage.
A cold, absolute calm settled over my chest.
"Andreas," I murmured, my voice steady, stripped of the gentle wife Caleb thought he had married. "Mr. Ellison is expecting a final meeting with the resort's ownership this evening to sign the European wellness partnership. Is that correct?"
"Yes, ma'am. He has been aggressively pursuing this contract for eight months. Our approval is the linchpin for his company's overseas funding."
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"Excellent," I said, leaning back in my father’s leather chair. "Send a message to his suite. Tell him the controlling authority of the Atherton Trust has arrived early and wishes to finalize the deal in the executive boardroom at 6:00 PM. Tell him to bring his creative director."
Andreas bowed his head slightly, a flicker of profound respect in his eyes. "Right away, Miss Atherton."
