CHAPTER 2 — THE CEO WHO DESTROYED HIMSELF LIVE
Victor grabbed my wrist so violently the smartwatch cracked.
Too late.
The livestream had already been copied onto twelve secure servers.
Downtown, the board members watched in stunned silence as Victor ripped the watch from my arm and smashed it against the marble floor.
Then came the mistake that ended him.
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
"You think a video is enough?"
He knelt beside me.
"Who do you think owns those directors?"
"You?"
"No."
"They work for me."
I almost pitied him.
Almost.
Because Victor had forgotten one person.
My grandfather.
Arthur Sterling.
Officially retired.
Unofficially...
The largest silent donor to the Hale Foundation.
He hadn't attended a board meeting in seven years.
Tonight, for the first time...
He walked through the conference room doors.
Every director stood instantly.
Victor's phone rang.
He ignored it.
It rang again.
And again.
Finally he answered.
"What?"
His confident smile disappeared.
"No..."
"That's impossible."
"What do you mean emergency injunction?"
Another call arrived.
Then another.
Banks.
Auditors.
Federal investigators.
The foundation's legal counsel.
Within eight minutes...
Every corporate account under Victor's authority had been frozen.
His access badge was remotely disabled.
His company credit cards stopped working.
His executive email disappeared.
His digital signature became invalid.
Years of carefully built power vanished while he stood over the woman he had tried to murder.
He stared at me.
"You planned this."
"No," I whispered.
"You planned this."
"I survived it."
Outside...
Sirens echoed through the storm.
Victor rushed toward the front door.
Locked.
Every security system in the mansion had already switched administrators.
Not to me.
To Arthur Sterling.
The old man entered the house surrounded by private security.
He looked at me only once.
Then at Victor.
His voice remained calm.
"I gave you my granddaughter."
"I trusted you with my family's legacy."
"You tried to bury both."
Victor actually smiled again.
"You have no proof I pushed her."
Arthur nodded.
"You're right."
"For the push..."
"Maybe not."
He held up a small black recorder.
"But we do have something else."
Victor's own voice filled the room.
Months of secret recordings.
Every threat.
Every bribe.
Every forged order.
Every conversation with the doctor who falsified Elena's medical evaluations.
Victor slowly backed away.
May you like
There was nowhere left to run.
Then my contractions began.
