Chapter 4 - Secrets of the Safe
Adrian took a step back, shaking his head. "No... no, this is a bluff. You love me, Claire. We built this life together. You wouldn't throw away six years of marriage over a mistake!"
"A mistake?" I stood up, the chair scraping against the hardwood floor. "You stood under silver confetti and put a three-carat diamond on another woman’s finger. You told her I was an ex-wife who was already out of the picture. That wasn't a mistake, Adrian. That was a calculated lifestyle upgrade. You just didn't realize who was paying for the lifestyle."
"Claire, please," Adrian pleaded, his voice breaking. He tried to reach for my hand, but I stepped back. "Let's talk in private. Just you and me. Like we used to."
"There is no 'you and me' anymore," I said. "And there certainly isn't any 'us' in Halcyon. Miriam, please read them the terms of the immediate restructuring."
Miriam opened her folder. "Under Clause Seventeen, since the majority shareholder has withdrawn due to a breach of fiduciary trust—specifically, the unauthorized use of company funds for personal gifts, including a three-carat diamond ring purchased using Halcyon's marketing budget—"
Celeste turned to Adrian, her face pale. "You bought my ring with company money?"
Adrian stammered, "It... it was a business expense! It was for the merger's public image!"
"That is corporate embezzlement," Miriam said calmly. "Claire has filed a formal complaint with the SEC. By this afternoon, a federal investigator will be at your headquarters."
Celeste’s elegant facade completely shattered. She grabbed her designer bag, looking at Adrian with utter disgust. "You idiot. You absolute, brainless idiot. You told me you owned the majority. You told me she was nobody!"
"Celeste, wait!" Adrian cried as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the glass door behind her.
Adrian turned back to me, his face desperate. "Claire, please. If the SEC gets involved, I'll go to prison. You can't do this to me. Think of my mother! Think of your father's legacy!"
"My father's legacy was the patents," I said, my voice cold. "The patents you tried to sell to Celeste's family behind my back. Yes, Adrian. I know about the secret negotiations in Zurich last month. Did you really think my holding company wouldn't get a notification about a transfer request?"
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He froze. The last trace of defense drained from his eyes. He realized he had been caught in every single lie.
"Go home, Adrian," I said, turning my back to him. "Pack your things. You have until five o'clock to vacate the penthouse. After that, the locks will be changed, and security will throw your bags into the street."
