Chapter 8 - The Price of Arrogance“My father taught me something when I was eight years old,” Claire said softly, standing up from her chair and buttoning her jacket.
Ethan looked up, sniffling, desperate for any shred of mercy. “What... what did he teach you?”
“He told me that people who need you to know they’re powerful usually aren’t as powerful as they think,” Claire replied. “You spent nine years trying to convince the world that you were the master of your universe, Ethan. You used my quietness as a mirror for your own insecurities. You tried to publicly humiliate me to make yourself feel tall.”
She picked up the brass key from her pocket, letting it catch the fluorescent light before dropping it onto the table right in front of him.
“The locks on our penthouse are being changed as we speak,” Claire continued. “Your personal bank accounts have been frozen pending asset division audit. You are welcome to keep your clothes. Everything else belongs to Hayes Holdings.”
“Claire, you can’t do this!” Ethan screamed, lunging forward to grab the hem of her pantsuit, only for Marcus Vance to step smoothly between them, pinning Ethan’s arms back with quiet professional force.
“She can, Mr. Whitmore,” Marcus said. “And legally, she’s being remarkably generous by not pressing criminal charges for corporate embezzlement over the last two fiscal quarters.”
May you like
Claire adjusted her jacket sleeve, picked up her designer handbag, and turned toward the boardroom doors.
“Goodbye, Ethan,” she said without looking back. “Enjoy the certainty.”
