Chapter 3 - Dominic Taught the Betrayed Wife How to Fight Back—Then Gregory Realized He Had Created His Own Worst Enemy
The first thing Dominic gave Alina wasn't money.
It was a desk.
He placed her in a glass-walled office overlooking the estate garden.
A laptop waited on the table.
Three encrypted files sat beside it.
She stared.
“What is this?”
“Your old company.”
“I don't work there anymore.”
“You built the accounting structure.”
“So?”
“So I need someone who understands how Gregory thinks.”
Alina sat.
She opened the first file.
Bank transfers.
Numbers.
Dates.
Shell companies.
Her eyes moved quickly.
“Wait.”
Dominic watched.
“What?”
“This account is fake.”
“How?”
“Look at the transaction dates.”
She pointed.
“Gregory always moves money on Fridays because his external auditor only checks quarterly summaries. But this account has deposits on Saturdays.”
Dominic leaned closer.
“So?”
“So someone else is moving money.”
She opened another file.
“There's a second network.”
Matteo stepped closer.
“Can you trace it?”
“Not from here.”
Dominic smiled.
“Then we'll give you what you need.”
Two hours later, Alina was sitting inside one of Dominic's private offices with access to years of financial records.
She worked for 9 hours.
She forgot to eat.
Forgot to breathe.
Forgot that her husband had left her with 30 dollars.
By sunset, she had discovered 11 suspicious accounts.
At 8:00 p.m., Dominic appeared.
“You're still working.”
“Yes.”
“Eat.”
“I am busy.”
He placed a plate beside her.
She looked down.
Steak.
Vegetables.
Bread.
“You ordered dinner?”
“I cooked.”
She stared.
“You cooked this?”
“Yes.”
“You don't look like someone who cooks.”
“That's offensive.”
She smiled.
“Sorry.”
He leaned against the desk.
“You found something.”
Alina pointed at the screen.
“These transfers aren't Gregory's.”
“What?”
“They originate from Mercer Holdings but don't enter the accounts he controls.”
“Where do they go?”
“To an offshore entity.”
Dominic examined the screen.
“Name?”
“Marrow Peak.”
His expression changed.
Alina noticed.
“You know it.”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“A company connected to Arthur Vescari.”
She sat back.
“So Gregory wasn't the mastermind.”
“No.”
“He was paying Vescari.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“We'll find out.”
The next morning, Gregory called.
Alina stared at the screen.
Unknown number.
She answered.
“Hello?”
“Alina.”
Her heart stopped.
Gregory.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“You've been talking to people.”
“What makes you think that?”
“You're not stupid enough to disappear without help.”
“I learned from you.”
Silence.
“You need to come home.”
“No.”
“Alina, you don't understand what you've done.”
“You emptied my account.”
“I protected company assets.”
“You destroyed my marriage.”
“That was already finished.”
His voice became colder.
“You should stop pretending this is personal.”
“Then why did you bring her into our house?”
Silence.
“Bethany deserves a family.”
“She deserves a man who doesn't lie.”
“Careful.”
Alina laughed.
“Are you threatening me?”
“No.”
“You should know something.”
Her voice became calm.
“I found Marrow Peak.”
Silence.
For the first time, she heard fear in Gregory's breathing.
“Who told you that name?”
“No one.”
“You don't know what you're dealing with.”
“You're right.”
She smiled.
“That's why I'm learning.”
She ended the call.
Dominic stood in the doorway.
He had heard everything.
“You enjoyed that.”
“A little.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
She looked at him.
“You were listening.”
“I was nearby.”
“You're terrible at pretending not to care.”
He walked closer.
“Maybe I don't want to pretend.”
Her heartbeat changed.
“Dominic.”
“What?”
“You're my employer.”
“No.”
“What?”
“I haven't employed you.”
“Then what am I doing?”
He looked at her.
“You are helping me.”
“And what do you get?”
“Your expertise.”
“And what do I get?”
“You get the chance to destroy the man who destroyed you.”
She stared at him.
“That's not enough.”
“What do you want?”
She thought.
“Independence.”
His eyes softened.
“You have it.”
“Immediately?”
“Immediately.”
“No strings?”
“One.”
“What?”
“You never disappear without telling me.”
She laughed.
“That's your condition?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because when you disappeared last night for 11 minutes, I nearly sent 4 cars looking for you.”
She stared.
“Dominic.”
“I know.”
“You're possessive.”
“Yes.”
“At least you're honest.”
“Yes.”
She looked back at the screen.
“I think Gregory is planning something.”
“He is.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he contacted a lawyer this morning.”
“For what?”
“A restraining order against you.”
Alina frowned.
“On what grounds?”
“Claims you're unstable.”
She laughed.
“Of course.”
Dominic watched her.
“What?”
“This is the moment people break.”
“I won't.”
“Good.”
She looked at him.
“Because I'm done being the woman who waits for someone else to decide what happens next.”
May you like
A smile touched his face.
“That's why you're still alive.”
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