Chapter 4 - The Execution
The boardroom of Thorne Industries was a tomb of mahogany and glass.
Kalin sat at the head of the table,
looking perfectly composed,
though the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his lack of sleep.
Tamson sat in a chair against the wall,
looking smug,
as if she had already won.
"We are here to discuss the restructuring of the board,"
Kalin began,
his voice smooth and practiced.
"Following the unfortunate scene at the gala,
it has become clear that some of our members lack the discretion required—"
The double doors at the back of the room swung open.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
I walked in,
the sapphire gown flowing behind me.
The hem had been repaired,
but I had refused to let them clean the wine stains.
I wanted them to see the mark of his cruelty.
"You're late,
Kalin,"
I said,
walking directly to the empty seat opposite him.
The board members gasped.
Kalin stood up,
his face turning a deep,
angry red.
"Saraphina?
How dare you show your face here?
Security!"
"Sit down,
Kalin,"
the Chairman of the Board said,
his voice trembling.
"She is still a major shareholder by virtue of the marriage contract."
I didn't wait for him to speak again.
I opened my laptop and connected it to the room’s projection system.
"You all think my father ruined this company,"
I said,
looking at each director in turn.
"You all think I was the price Kalin paid to save it.
But the truth is,
this company was built on a foundation of theft and suicide."
I pressed a key.
The screen filled with the documents Julian had found.
The forged signatures.
The confession letter.
The board members began to mutter,
their voices rising in a wave of shock.
"This is fake!"
Kalin screamed,
lunging toward the laptop.
But I was faster.
I pressed another key.
The video from the gala played on the screen.
Not just the part where he dragged me.
But the part before it.
The high-definition camera from Julian's team caught Tamson Croft's face as she deliberately tipped the wine.
It caught her wink at the camera before she fell.
And then,
the audio played.
It was a recording from a bug Julian had placed in Tamson’s pendant weeks ago.
"He’ll never know I’ve been skimming from the 'consulting' fund,
Kalin,"
Tamson’s voice rang out,
clear and mocking.
"As long as we keep the little wife scared,
the money keeps flowing into the Cayman accounts."
Kalin froze.
He turned to Tamson,
who had gone white as a sheet.
The board members were no longer muttering.
They were standing up,
shouting.
"It’s over,
Kalin,"
I said,
standing up and closing my laptop.
May you like
"The SEC is in the lobby.
And they aren't here for me."
