Chapter 8 - The Betrayal Was Sitting in My Office
Abigail returned to work.
Her employees were nervous.
Rumors had spread.
Her company had become part of a federal investigation.
Then her assistant approached.
“There is someone you need to see.”
Abigail entered the conference room.
Her chief financial officer was waiting.
His name was Thomas Reed.
He had worked with Abigail for seven years.
She trusted him completely.
He looked terrified.
“I know who helped Edward.”
Abigail stared.
“Who?”
Thomas looked at the floor.
“Me.”
Silence.
Abigail couldn't believe it.
“Why?”
“Debt.”
“How much?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
“Edward paid you?”
“Yes.”
“What did you give him?”
“Financial projections.”
“What else?”
“Your investment structure.”
Abigail felt betrayed.
“You knew about the wedding.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Logan was using me.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you warn me?”
Thomas began crying.
“Because I was afraid.”
Abigail shook her head.
“Everyone is afraid.”
Then Thomas handed her a flash drive.
“This is everything.”
“What is it?”
“Edward's final plan.”
She opened it.
There was one document.
Project Prescott.
It detailed the entire operation.
The wedding.
The property transfer.
The company takeover.
The financial trust.
The insurance policy.
The staged divorce.
Everything.
At the bottom was one final objective.
Acquire controlling interest in Prescott Media.
Abigail stared.
They had never wanted her apartment.
They wanted her company.
The wedding was a corporate takeover disguised as a family marriage.
But there was another line.
Estimated value: $42 million.
Abigail sat back.
The six million dollars had been bait.
Her company was the real prize.
Thomas looked at her.
“I'm sorry.”
Abigail closed the laptop.
“Then help me finish this.”
He looked surprised.
“How?”
“Give investigators everything.”
Thomas nodded.
That night, Edward finally called.
“You've become difficult.”
Abigail answered.
“You underestimated me.”
“I underestimated the cameras.”
“You underestimated the wrong woman.”
Edward laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
“I understand everything.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“Your entire company is already compromised.”
Abigail froze.
“What?”
“I own the controlling votes.”
“You don't.”
“Check your shareholder registry.”
She did.
Her blood turned cold.
Someone had been purchasing shares through shell companies.
Nearly twenty-eight percent.
If Edward acquired another twenty-three percent, he would control the company.
“Who sold them?”
“People you trusted.”
Abigail looked at Thomas.
He shook his head.
“I didn't.”
Edward laughed.
“Ask your board.”
The call ended.
The next morning, Abigail called an emergency board meeting.
Three directors didn't attend.
Two resigned.
One admitted receiving money.
Her company was collapsing from the inside.
But Abigail had one advantage.
She had evidence.
She had the security footage.
She had the recordings.
She had federal investigators.
And she had one person Edward never expected to betray him.
Logan.
He agreed to testify.
Then Bernice did too.
Even Richard, after being arrested, agreed to cooperate.
Edward's entire network was exposed.
But Edward still had one last move.
He attempted to seize control of the company during an emergency shareholder vote.
Abigail walked into the meeting.
Everyone expected her to be defeated.
Instead, she connected her laptop to the screen.
The first video played.
Bernice.
Then Richard.
Then Edward.
Then Logan.
Then the security footage.
The room went silent.
When the final recording ended, Abigail looked around the table.
“This company is not for sale.”
Federal agents entered the room.
Edward's remaining allies were arrested.
And the vote was canceled.
For the first time, Abigail had won.
But she still had one decision left.
May you like
Whether to destroy Logan completely.
Or give him a chance to become the man he had always claimed he wanted to be.
