Chapter 5 - The Master’s ReturnThe hallway went completely, terrifyingly silent. Even the distant hum of the office ventilation system seemed to fade away.
Ethan stared at his wife, his mouth opening slightly as his brain struggled to bridge the gap between the quiet woman who poured his coffee in the suburbs and the woman standing before him in the center of corporate headquarters.
“Evelyn?” Ethan’s voice cracked, dropping an octave. “What... what are you doing here? How did you get into the executive wing?”
Evelyn didn't stop walking. She moved with a measured, unhurried grace, passing Arthur and Margaret without a glance until she stood two feet away from her husband.
“Good morning, Ethan,” she said, her tone as calm as if they were discussing the weather over breakfast. “You always did hate waking up early.”
“Evelyn, tell these people to stop playing games,” Ethan stammered, grabbing for her forearm with a familiar, entitled grip. “Some glitch in the compliance software locked me out of my office, and Arthur is acting like—"
Before his fingers could tighten around her sleeve, Margaret stepped forward with a sharp rustle of fabric and slapped a thick stack of printed wire-transfer records against Ethan’s chest.
“Take your hands off Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Caldwell,” Margaret said coldly. “Unless you want an assault charge added to your federal indictment.”
Ethan staggered back a step, catching the papers against his chest. He looked down.
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The top page displayed the bank header of a shell corporation registered in the Cayman Islands. Below it was his own signature authorizing the diversion of four hundred thousand dollars in corporate R&D funds to a luxury residential lease at the Meridian Tower.
The address matched Sabrina Cole’s apartment.
