Chapter 6 - The Cornered Animal
The oxygen seemed to instantly vanish from the marina office. Nathaniel’s mask of calm superiority shattered completely. The careful, measured executive was gone, replaced by a cornered animal realizing the trap had not just sprung, but had crushed his legs.
"This is absurd!" Nathaniel shouted, slamming his hand on the table, though his voice cracked at the edges. "This is a setup. My wife is hysterical. She forged these documents to ruin my business deal because our marriage is failing!"
His lawyer, however, was not shouting. The lawyer was hurriedly reading the document Elias had provided, his eyes scanning the irrefutable IP addresses, the wire transfer receipts, and the sworn affidavit from Graham Voss himself, who had folded under the threat of federal prosecution just twelve hours prior. The lawyer slowly closed the folder, pushed his chair back, and looked at Nathaniel.
"Nathaniel," the lawyer said quietly, "I strongly advise you to stop talking."
Sloane, realizing that the man she had hitched her wagon to was not only a liar but a soon-to-be-indicted fraudster, stood up abruptly. Her cream cashmere suddenly looked less like luxury armor and more like a cheap costume. "You told me it was your boat," she hissed at Nathaniel, her soft voice replaced by shrill panic. "You told me the trust was in your name. You used me to entertain them!" She pointed a trembling finger at the Veridian partners.
"Sit down, Sloane," Nathaniel snapped, his true, vicious nature finally bleeding through. But she didn't. She grabbed her limited-edition Birkin bag—the one bought with my family's money—and practically ran for the door. No one stopped her. She was collateral damage, an accessory to a crime she was too vain to realize she was participating in.
May you like
Richard from Veridian stood up next. He didn't look at Nathaniel; he looked directly at me. "Mrs. Pierce, I apologize for this intrusion. Veridian Holdings formally withdraws from all negotiations with your husband's firm, effective immediately. We will be launching an internal investigation into Mr. Voss." He turned his disgusted gaze to my husband. "Expect a call from our legal department, Nathaniel. You are finished."
As the investors filed out, leaving only me, Elias, the marina manager, Nathaniel, and his utterly defeated lawyer, the silence returned, heavier and far more toxic than before.
