Chapter 4
Standing in the archive doorway was Arthur Vance, the aging senior partner and co-founder of the firm, leaning heavily on a polished mahogany cane. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his sharp gray eyes looked past the wedding dress with clinical curiosity, taking in Mary’s composed posture and the glowing server racks behind her.
"You look rather underdressed for a honeymoon, Mary," Arthur said, his voice raspy but steady as he stepped into the room. "Word from the chapel is spreading fast. The minister is standing at the altar looking like he just witnessed a maritime disaster."
Mary kept her posture rigid, her hands resting calmly on the edge of the desk. "The wedding has been canceled, Arthur. Permanently."
Arthur let out a dry, humorless chuckle, tapping his cane against the floor. "I suspected as much when I saw the corporate ledger alerts flashing on my home terminal. You've just frozen three-quarters of our liquidity in a single automated sweep. Ethan is going to scream bloody murder when he lands from Zurich."
"Ethan isn't in Zurich," Mary replied, her tone flat and devoid of emotion. "He was across town in a hotel suite with Chloe, while Jax was supposed to be managing the final logistical details of my reception."
Arthur’s eyebrows arched slightly, though his expression remained otherwise impassioned. Business was business, after all. "A messy entanglement. Ethan always did let his personal appetites override his tactical judgment. I warned his father about that boy years ago. Brilliant mind for market speculation, terrible grasp of consequence."
"He's about to receive a masterclass in consequence," Mary said, stepping past him toward the archive exit. "I’ve locked the corporate accounts, revoked his signature authority, and initiated a forensic audit of every subsidiary he touched in the last twenty-four hours."
Arthur turned slowly, watching her walk toward the door with a look of genuine respect mixed with caution. "And what do you expect me to do, Mary? The board holds emergency voting rights on Monday morning. If Ethan challenges your asset freeze, we could end up in a protracted legal battle that drains our operating capital before the quarter closes."
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Mary paused at the threshold, turning her head slightly to meet the older man's calculating gaze. "Let him try. I have the digital receipts, the hotel security logs, and a signed prenuptial amendment that he foolishly neglected to read before signing last week. He signed away his claim to my personal holding company in exchange for a higher percentage of the commercial real estate portfolio—real estate that is currently underwater due to his unauthorized margin trades."
Arthur smiled slowly, revealing teeth stained slightly by decades of expensive cigars. "God help the man who crosses a woman who knows how to read the fine print."
