“I have the encryption password for that drive,” Vanessa countered desperately. “Without it, the drive will automatically wipe itself if you try to open it. I’ll give you the password right now. Just… just leave me out of the federal indictments.”
Julian roared in anger and lunged at Vanessa. In the chaos, I dodged around his desk, bolted through the doorway, and sprinted for the elevator.
“Seven-four-nine-alpha!” Vanessa screamed after me as Julian grabbed her arm.
I slammed the elevator button, diving inside just as the doors slid shut, Julian’s furious face disappearing behind the metal.
The next morning, Victoria convened an emergency shareholder meeting.
The boardroom was packed. The atmosphere was electric. Victoria stood at the head of the table, dressed in a sharp white suit, looking like an untouchable queen. She was about to officially reinstate Julian as CEO and formally strip me of all my marital shares.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Victoria announced smoothly to the board. “Today, we put an end to the ridiculous, malicious rumors that have plagued this company. We are moving forward, stronger than ever.”
The heavy oak doors at the back of the room swung open.
I walked in. I wasn’t wearing the subdued, pastel dresses Julian always preferred. I was wearing a tailored, midnight-black suit. Arthur walked proudly by my side, Marcus and Sarah trailing right behind us, holding thick, printed dossiers.
“You are not authorized to be here, Claire,” Victoria snapped, signaling the security guards. “Remove her.”
“I am perfectly authorized,” I said, my voice echoing clearly off the glass walls. I threw my father’s original patent deed, alongside a decrypted printout from Julian’s master drive, directly onto the center of the mahogany table.
“I am not here as Julian’s ex-wife,” I announced, staring Victoria dead in the eye. “I am here as the legal owner of fifty-one percent of the core patents that run this entire corporation. I am the majority shareholder.”
The room erupted into absolute bedlam.
Victoria looked at the decrypted ledgers. The color completely drained from her pristine face. She looked like a ghost. She knew she was caught. Decades of lies, laid bare on the table for every major investor to see.
But Victoria was a cornered animal, and cornered animals are dangerous.
“Security!” Victoria shrieked, her composure finally, spectacularly shattering. “I want her arrested! I want her out of my building right now!”
The security guards moved forward, their hands reaching for their radios.
The security guards moved swiftly, but they didn’t walk toward me.
They flanked Victoria.
