Chapter 3 - The True Owner
The crowd of employees parted instantly. Marcus Vance, the Global Head of Corporate Security, stepped onto the executive floor. He had been appointed by my late father fifteen years ago. He was the only person in the building who knew exactly what I looked like.
Marcus held a silver tablet in one hand. He ignored Adrien completely, stopped two feet in front of me, and gave a sharp, formal bow of his head.
"Madam Chairwoman," Marcus said, his voice carrying down the dead-silent corridor. "The audit is complete. And the cameras are functioning perfectly."
Vanessa’s smirk froze. Her arms slowly uncrossed.
"Madam Chairwoman?" Adrien choked out, his face turning the color of wet cement. "Marcus, what are you doing? She's my wife, she has nothing to do with operations—"
"I am the majority shareholder of the Hail Family Trust, Adrien," I stated, my voice echoing off the marble backsplash. "And this morning, I exercised my right to a forensic audit of the executive floor. I didn't need ten days. I only needed ninety minutes to find the offshore wire transfers you and your 'wife' have been hiding under vendor invoices."
Vanessa physically stumbled backward, bumping into the coffee machine. "Wife? Adrien... you said you were divorcing her! You said the paperwork was filed!"
"He lied to you, Vanessa," I said ruthlessly. "Just like he lied to me. He isn't divorcing me because he signed a prenuptial agreement that strips him of every single asset, stock option, and penny of severance if there is a documented breach of fidelity."
I looked at Marcus. "Play it."
Marcus tapped the tablet. Every digital monitor on the executive floor—the ones usually reserved for stock tickers and company announcements—flickered.
May you like
Suddenly, high-definition footage of the pantry played in perfect sync across the floor. Five hundred employees on the glass-walled levels below looked up. They watched Vanessa Cole raise her hand and slap the Chairwoman of the Board. They watched her claim Adrien Bennett as her husband.
"Assaulting the owner of the company is a felony, Vanessa," I whispered.
