Chapter 4 - The Public Humiliation BeginsWe walked side-by-side out of the elevator, our footsteps echoing sharply against the polished terrazzo floor. The contrast between us was stark: Marcus in a bespoke navy suit that screamed power, and me in my crisp white medical coat, radiating cold, unshakeable authority.
Nathan straightened his posture, trying to reclaim his dominance, though a drop of sweat was now visible on his temple.
"Evelyn," Nathan sneered, though his voice lacked its previous booming confidence. "Bringing backup? What is this, a reality show?"
"No, Nathan," Marcus stepped forward, his presence instantly commanding the entire reception area. "This is a deposition. Or rather, the preamble to one."
Olivia clutched the stroller handle tighter, her face turning pale. "Nathan, who is this man? Let's just go. Leo needs his checkup."
"Shut up, Olivia," Nathan snapped under his breath before turning back to us. "Listen, whoever you are, I don't know what kind of game Evelyn put you up to, but I'm a successful tech entrepreneur. I have powerful friends—"
"You were a successful tech entrepreneur," Marcus corrected smoothly, opening the first manila file. "As of 9:00 AM today, the board of directors at Apex Innovations has frozen all of your corporate accounts. Furthermore, federal investigators have seized your primary assets due to systematic embezzlement of research grants."
The lobby erupted into quiet gasps. Several nurses stopped charting.
Nathan’s face drained of all color, turning a sickly, pasty gray. "That's... that's impossible. That's corporate espionage! You're lying!"
"Am I?" Marcus raised an eyebrow, pulling out a sheaf of printed bank statements and legal warrants. "You systematically funneled four hundred thousand dollars of company capital into a shell account registered under Olivia Grant's maiden name to buy your suburban mansion. Classic white-collar fraud. Carry a maximum sentence of twelve years."
Olivia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She whipped her head toward Nathan. "Nathan? What is he talking about? You said that money was your venture capital payout!"
May you like
"It was!" Nathan stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "Olivia, honey, don't listen to this old windbag—"
"And that brings us," Marcus continued, cutting Nathan off completely, "to File Number Two."
