Chapter 4: Stripped to the Bone
By nightfall, the news hit the financial wires like an earthquake.
*“Tech CEO Tyler Hayes Ousted: Horizon Global Foreclosed by Vance Conglomerate Following Billion-Dollar Default.”*
I sat by the grand hearth in my father’s penthouse overlooking Central Park, wrapped in a cashmere blanket with a cup of warm chamomile tea. Dr. Morrison had just completed a full examination. The baby was healthy and strong, unaffected by the shock of the morning.
My phone lit up with ninety-four missed calls from Tyler, twelve from Chloe, and dozens from former "friends" who had snubbed me during my marriage. I watched the notifications scroll past without answering a single one.
Across the city, Tyler was living his nightmare.
His corporate cards were rejected at the boutique hotel downtown. His luxury penthouse lease had been revoked because the security deposit originated from my private trust account. The bank had already frozen his personal accounts pending an investigation into fraudulent transfers—specifically, the half-million dollars of my personal money he had used to buy Chloe her diamond necklace.
When Chloe realized Tyler was entirely broke, she didn't stick around to comfort him. Within three hours, she wiped out the petty cash in his office safe and boarded an overnight flight to Miami, leaving him alone on a curb outside his locked company headquarters.
"You're safe now, Elena," my father said softly, sitting across from me. "What do you want to do with his company?"
May you like
I looked down at the sonogram picture resting on my lap. "I want to rebuild it into something honest. No greed. No hollow prestige. Something that gives back."
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