Chapter 3 - Shadows in the Sun
That night, I didn't sleep in our master bedroom. I locked myself in the guest bedroom under the pretense of having a migraine.
At 2:00 AM, the soft sound of barefoot steps outside my door woke me. The doorknob jiggled softly.
Locked.
I sat up in bed, my heart thumping against my ribs. I held my breath, watching the shadow beneath the door. After a agonizing minute, the shadow moved away. Daniel was getting desperate. Desperate men made sloppy mistakes, but they were also extremely dangerous.
The next morning, I sent Liam to stay with my sister in Santa Barbara. I wasn't taking any chances with my son's safety.
With Liam safely away, I went to my company's headquarters. As I walked down the glass-walled corridors, employees nodded and greeted me with respect. They had no idea that behind the closed door of the executive suite, Julianna was furiously trying to purge financial files from the server.
I walked into her office unannounced.
She jammed her laptop shut immediately, looking startled. "Victoria! I didn't expect you in so early."
"We need to talk about the Gala speeches," I said calmly, sitting across from her. I placed a sleek black USB drive on her desk.
"What's this?" she asked nervously.
"That contains the updated corporate presentation for tonight," I replied. "I want you to plug it into the main media server at the hotel before the opening remarks. It contains the new ownership structure reveal."
Julianna swallowed hard, eyeing the flash drive like it was a live grenade. "The... new ownership structure?"
"Yes," I leaned in, resting my chin on my hands. "I'm announcing a massive restructuring. After all, a company is only as strong as the trust between its leaders. Wouldn't you agree, Julianna?"
"Of course, Victoria," she stammered, her hand reaching out to clutch the USB drive. "Trust is... everything."
"Oh, and Julianna?" I stopped at the door, turning around with a chilling smile. "I know about the apartment in Malibu."
Her face went completely ghost-white.
"What... what apartment?"
"The one Daniel rented under the corporate expense account you approved," I said softly. "It has a lovely ocean view. Enjoy it while you can."
I walked out, leaving her sitting in terrified silence.
By 5:00 PM, the trap was fully set. Eleanor called me with the final legal filings. The court had granted an emergency injunction freezing all accounts associated with Daniel's law firm and Julianna's shell companies, effective at precisely 9:00 PM—the exact time I was scheduled to take the stage at the Gala.
I stood in front of my vanity mirror, putting on a floor-length emerald green dress. I applied red lipstick with absolute precision.
When Daniel walked into the dressing room wearing his tuxedo, he looked haggard. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes. He tried to put his arms around my waist from behind, but I stepped forward, adjusting my earrings in the mirror.
May you like
"Ready for the big night, darling?" he asked, his voice hollow.
"I've never been more ready in my life, Daniel," I said, meeting his gaze in the reflection. "Tonight, everyone gets exactly what they deserve."
