Chapter 9%
I turned to Nicholas, my expression calm, almost amused. “Consider it a parting gift. Five years together–I figured you deserved something special.”
Ignoring the way his jaw clenched in fury, I kept my eyes on the massive digital countdown ticking down on the stock exchange screen. The moment it hit zero, a breaking news alert flashed across every screen in the room.
[“BREAKING: The Brakefield Group Under Investigation by the Securities and Markets Authority for Financial Fraud and Corporate Bribery!“]}
The room fell into absolute chaos.
Nicholas went ghostly pale, his head snapping toward Gwendoline. “What the hell is this?!“}
Gwendoline’s confident smirk vanished in an instant. She stammered, “I–I don’t know! This can’t be happening!“}
Cameras swiveled toward them, reporters shoving microphones in Nicholas’s face.§
“Mr. Brakefield, care to comment? Are the allegations true? Has the Brakefield Group been falsifying financial records?”
Nicholas forced a strained smile, visibly struggling to keep his composure. “This is obviously a misunderstanding. We will clear everything up as soon as possible.”
Before he could say another word, a stock exchange official approached, his voice cold and professional.}
“Mr. Brakefield, due to these serious allegations, we are halting your company’s IPO. We need you to come with us for questioning.“} The color drained from Nicholas’s face completely.
Nicholas’s face went deathly pale, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His whole body trembled with barely contained rage.
Beside him, Gwendoline latched onto his arm, her voice frantic. “Nico, what do we do? What the hell is happening?“}
Nicholas jerked his arm free, whipping around to glare at her. “Shut up! This is your fault! You were the one who pushed me into this
mess!“}
Gwendoline’s eyes widened in disbelief before her face twisted in anger. “My fault? Are you kidding me? You were the one who signed off on everything! Now that it’s blowing up, you want to pin it all on me?“}
Their bickering escalated into a full–blown argument right in front of everyone, their carefully curated image unraveling in real time.
I stood off to the side, watching with detached amusement. So much for their perfect little love story.
Then, just as I expected, Nicholas snapped his head toward me, his eyes blazing with suspicion.
“This was you, wasn’t it?!“}
I met his glare with a slow, knowing smile. “Nicholas, you’re giving me too much credit. I mean, you said it yourself that I’m just some gold–digging slut, right? How could I even pull this off?”
His jaw tightened, nostrils flaring, realization dawning in his eyes. “Who else would hate me this much?!” he snarled.}
I shook my head, looking at Nicholas with something close to pity.
“Nicholas, you’ve got it all wrong. I never set out to destroy you–you did that all by yourself.”
From the moment he showed his true colors, I knew something was off.
He hadn’t just wanted to get rid of me–he had been desperate. The way he forced me out of the company, how ruthlessly he tried to ruin me… it was never just about cheating.}
Growing up watching my father run a business, I had picked up on more than a few red flags.
Back then, I trusted Nicholas. Whenever I questioned something, he had an answer and I believed him.
Not now though. I finally could see he was a fraud. If he could lie to me about one thing, how many more lies had I swallowed whole?}
Turns out, plenty.}
I never imagined he’d be reckless enough to commit financial fraud just to fast–track his company’s IPO. But looking back, it all made
sense.
The listing was supposed to take another year–at least. I had assumed my parents secretly helped push things along for him. Never did I consider the possibility that Nicholas had been cutting corners and sealing his own fate.
His expression twisted with rage as I refused to take the blame. His voice cracked as he roared, “That’s bullshit! I would never destroy myself!“?
I tilted my head, letting out a soft, knowing laugh.
“Really? So the falsified financial reports, the bribery–those weren’t your decisions? Did you think you could outsmart everyone and walk away clean? Hate to break it to you, Nicholas, but the house always wins.”