Chapter 4 - The Retaliation
Vanessa’s smile faltered, her perfectly painted lips parting in a brief moment of panic before she recovered her poise. "Ethan, what are you talking about? Don't tell me you're believing a word this lying criminal says?"
"The only criminal in this room is you, Vanessa," Ethan said, his voice dropping to a harsh, dangerous whisper that made her step back. "I spent the last six hours reviewing the accounts. Every single wire transfer to the Cross Holding Group, every fake invoice for estate renovations that never happened, every forged document. You and Cole Mercer thought you could use my name to launder your family’s dying company out of bankruptcy."
Vanessa laughed, a sharp, brittle sound that echoed uncomfortably in the hospital room. "You think you can prove that? My father is a senator, Ethan. My family built this city's social structure. Your word against mine? You’re just a boy from a laundromat who got lucky on Wall Street. Who do you think the board will believe?"
"They won't have to believe me," Elena spoke up from the bed, her voice clear and cutting through Vanessa’s bravado. "They will believe the digital certificates. When you forced me to use your personal laptop to 'organize your charity guest list,' you didn't realize I planted a tracing protocol on your hard drive. Every time you authorized a transaction using Mr. Vale’s forged signature, the IP address registered directly to your private penthouse. I have the metadata, Vanessa. It’s already been mirrored to three external servers outside the state."
Vanessa’s face drained of color. She turned sharply to her bodyguards. "Get that drive from her. Now!"
The two large men stepped forward, but Marcus and three heavily armed Vale security officers blocked them instantly, weapons concealed but ready under their jackets. The tension in the room skyrocketed, the air thick with imminent violence.
"Touch anyone in this room, and you won't make it to the elevator," Marcus warned coldly.
Vanessa looked at Ethan, her eyes wide with a mixture of rage and burgeoning terror. "Ethan, please. We are supposed to be married in two weeks. Think of the press! Think of what this will do to Vale Holdings' stock!"
"The wedding is off," Ethan said, pulling the massive, multi-carat diamond engagement ring from his vest pocket—the one he had retrieved from his safe that morning—and dropping it into her Chanel pocket. "And as for the stock? It will survive. You won't. Marcus, escort Miss Cross out of my sight. If she attempts to leave the city, have the federal agents detain her immediately."
As Vanessa was forcibly led out, screaming obscenities that shattered her pristine public image, Ethan turned back to Elena. The room was quiet again, but the battle had only just begun.
May you like
"She’s right about one thing," Elena said softly, looking at her tightly clasped hands. "She has deep roots. Cole Mercer has already disappeared, and he has the master encryption keys to your primary operating accounts. If he locks you out, your company will freeze by tomorrow morning."
Ethan knelt down slightly to be at eye level with her. "Then help me find him. Work with me, Elena. Not as my maid. As my partner."
