Chapter 4 - The Terms of Surrender"Grant," Nathan said, his voice smooth and resonant as a cello string. "I’m glad to see you’re taking this well."
Grant stood up, his fists clenched at his sides. The exhaustion of the sleepless night, combined with the sudden, violent dismantling of his life, pushed him past the threshold of caution. He took a step toward the lawyer, his jaw tight.
"Where is my son?" Grant hissed, stepping into Nathan's personal space. "If you think you can hide my wife and child—”
"Your wife is safe," Nathan interrupted calmly, not retreating an inch. "And your son is being examined by a pediatric specialist who doesn't smell like cheap French perfume and whiskey. As for hiding them? We aren't hiding, Grant. We’re waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"For you to sign the papers." Nathan reached into his leather portfolio and pulled out a thick stack of stapled documents, dropping them heavily onto the coffee table right where Clare’s half-read architecture book had been lying an hour earlier.
Grant looked down at the title page.
Comprehensive Settlement, Custody Agreement, and Corporate Resignation.
"Read it," Nathan said, taking a seat on the cream-colored sofa as if he owned the place. Because, legally speaking, he practically did. "It’s very straightforward. You sign over your remaining voting shares in Ashford Biotech to the Clare & Elliot Family Trust. You relinquish all parental rights, subject to supervised visitation approved by a court-appointed guardian ad litem. In exchange, the civil fraud charges filed by the SEC—which we conveniently filed electronically twenty minutes ago—will be held in abeyance."
Grant stared at him in disbelief. "You filed with the SEC?"
"At 7:45 AM," Nathan replied pleasantly. "Federal investigators are currently walking through the lobby of Ashford Biotech headquarters. By noon, your face will be leading every financial news broadcast from Wall Street to Frankfurt."
"You’re destroying my company!" Grant roared, lunging forward.
The two security guards were on him instantly, pinning his arms behind his back and forcing him down into the armchair.
Nathan didn't even flinch. He picked up a gold-plated Montblanc pen from the table and laid it neatly across the top of the agreement.
"You destroyed your company the moment you decided your wife was too naive to notice you stealing from her future," Nathan said softly. "Clare didn't build this escape hatch out of spite, Grant. She built it because she realized that a man who can look his wife in the eye while their newborn son fights for breath in an incubator is capable of anything."
Grant glared up at the lawyer, his chest heaving. "She’ll never get away with this. I have connections in the Southern District. I have judges—”
"You had judges," Nathan corrected, standing up and buttoning his coat. "Now you have a federal indictment waiting for your signature. You have until midnight to sign. If you don't, the SEC referral becomes public, and the U.S. Attorney’s office will issue an arrest warrant before you can finish your morning coffee."
May you like
Nathan turned and walked toward the private elevator, his heels clicking against the floor.
"Have a pleasant morning, Grant," he called back over his shoulder. "Try to enjoy the silence. It’s the last peaceful moment you’re going to have for the rest of your life."
