Chapter 5 - The Corporate TrapThe murmurs swelled into a deafening roar of outrage. Standing in the front row was Arthur Sterling, the elderly billionaire CEO of Apex Horizon Holdings and Adrian’s primary corporate benefactor. Arthur’s face turned the color of a bruised plum as he stared at the financial records bearing his company’s name.
“Adrian!” Arthur’s voice boomed across the silent hall, shaking the crystal chandeliers. “Explain what the hell my company’s legal department is doing on these screens right now!”
Adrian stammered, sweating profusely under the harsh glare of the spotlights. “Arthur—sir—it’s a hoax! It’s a malicious fabrication by my unstable ex-wife! She’s trying to ruin our wedding out of pure jealousy!”
“Is it a hoax, Adrian?” I asked, stepping forward with the leather folder clutched in my left hand. I pulled out a fresh stack of documents and tossed them casually onto the pristine white tablecloth of the nearest VIP table. “Because these are certified bank statements bearing your digital signature, your IP address, and corporate internal memos detailing how you and your precious assistant skimmed funds from my inheritance to bankroll this very wedding—and buy your silence, Celeste.”
Celeste turned a ghastly shade of white, clutching her stomach. “He’s lying! She’s lying! We didn’t steal anything!”
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“Quiet, you little parasite,” Arthur Sterling snarled, stepping up onto the raised dais. He snatched a paper from the table, scanning it with narrowed, furious eyes. “My internal auditors flagged an accounting discrepancy three weeks ago. I thought it was a clerical error. But this… this is industrial-scale embezzlement routed through my own subsidiary.”
Arthur turned his piercing gaze onto Adrian, his voice trembling with controlled rage. “You used Apex Horizon’s accounts to launder stolen inheritance money to fund your lavish lifestyle? You absolute fool.”
