Chapter 9 - A Public Execution of Privacy
By mid-afternoon,
the scandal had begun to leak.
In the world of high finance,
news of a major executive being audited for misappropriation of funds travels faster than a fever.
I sat in Arthur’s office,
the walls lined with leather-bound books and the air smelling of expensive tobacco and old paper.
He was scrolling through his tablet,
a small,
satisfied smile on his face.
"The board has officially suspended him,"
Arthur said,
setting the tablet down.
"Pending a full forensic investigation.
They’ve also frozen his corporate accounts."
"And the house?"
I asked,
my voice steady.
"It’s in the prenup,
Mabel.
Since he’s being charged with financial misconduct related to marital assets,
his claim to the property is effectively nullified.
The house is yours.
The Chicago condo is a different story,
but since it was purchased with company-adjacent funds,
Vance Global will likely seize it."
I nodded,
feeling a strange lack of triumph.
It was just business now.
The emotion had been bled out of it the moment I saw him holding her in my kitchen.
"What about the mistress?"
"Chloe Vance—if that’s even her real name—has already been scrubbed from the company website,"
Arthur replied.
"They’re looking into her role in the transfers.
She might be facing criminal charges herself if they can prove she knowingly accepted embezzled funds."
I leaned back in the chair,
closing my eyes for a moment.
The public execution of Ethan’s reputation had begun.
By tomorrow,
his name would be synonymous with failure.
His friends,
those "brothers" he had in the corporate world,
would vanish like smoke.
He would be left with nothing but the echoes of his own lies.
"There’s one more thing,"
Arthur said,
his tone turning serious.
"Ethan’s personal attorney has reached out.
They want to offer a settlement.
He’ll sign over everything—the retirement,
the remaining savings,
the car—if you agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement and drop the audit support."
I opened my eyes and looked at the man who had been my only ally in this nightmare.
"He wants to buy my silence again."
"In essence,
yes."
"Tell him no,"
I said,
the word ringing out like a bell.
"I don't want his money.
I want the truth to be the only thing he has left to eat.
Let the audit proceed.
Let the world see exactly who Ethan Vance is."
Arthur smiled,
a genuine,
respectful expression.
May you like
"I thought you’d say that.
I’ll draw up the refusal papers."
