Chapter 7 - The Final Audit"Chairwoman?" one of the nervous junior board members squeaked, adjusting his tie. "Mrs. Walker, with all due respect, Mr. Walker founded this company—"


"Mr. Walker filed the paperwork and fronted the marketing persona," Clare interrupted smoothly, opening a certified portfolio and sliding copies across the table to every member present. "Take a look at Exhibit A. These are the original seed-funding wire transfers from 2018. Every single dollar of R&D, every server hosting bill, and every patent registration was funded by my personal trust and assigned to my holding company."
Ethan leaned forward, his voice shaking with desperate rage. "You tricked me! You let me play CEO while you plotted behind my back to steal my company!"
Clare turned her gaze toward him, and for the first time, a cold, sharp fire burned in her eyes.
"I didn't steal anything, Ethan. I protected what I built while you were busy spending investor funds on luxury cars, high-society galas, and mistresses in Midtown," Clare said evenly, her voice ringing clear across the silent room. "You wanted a life that outgrew me? You wanted a partner who belonged in high-society spotlights? Congratulations, Ethan. You are now entirely free of me. And soon, you'll be entirely free of this company."
Marcus, standing near the projector, clicked a remote. The main screen flashed with a comprehensive forensic breakdown of Ethan's corporate expense accounts—highlighting personal luxury purchases, unauthorized executive bonuses, and questionable wire transfers to offshore accounts.
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"Furthermore," Marcus added quietly, "the forensic audit has uncovered multiple counts of corporate fund misuse. The state attorney general's office has been notified."
Ethan’s knees felt weak. He grabbed the back of a leather chair to steady himself. The entire corporate empire he had spent a decade parading around Manhattan was disintegrating before his eyes, reduced to ash by the very woman he had humiliated over a white-linen dinner.