Part 3: The Broken Foundation
Part 3: The Broken Foundation
By 2:00 p.m., the local business journals were already reporting the sudden suspension of trading for Cross Development Group.
Daniel’s board of directors had voted to remove him as CEO within forty-five minutes of the judge's emergency asset-freezing order.
He was no longer the ambitious executive Olivia had targeted; he was a liability under active federal investigation for corporate fraud and hidden marital dissipation.
A shadow fell over my car window as I sat parked near a quiet park in Coyoacán-style greenery downtown.
It was Olivia.
She had tracked my car using the vehicle’s corporate registration before the security team could deactivate her access.
Her flawless honey-blonde hair was ruined by the rain, her burgundy dress clinging to her as she pounded furiously against my window.
"Emma! Open the door!" she screamed, her voice cracking through the glass. "You lied to the judge! You ruined his life!"
I lowered the window just two inches, staring at her with an icy calmness that made her stop shouting.
"I didn't lie about anything, Olivia," I said softly. "The judge looked at the numbers. And numbers don't have hard feelings."
"The penthouse is under my name!" she hissed, her teeth chattering from the cold. "You can't take it from me!"
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"The money used to buy that penthouse belonged to the marital estate," I replied. "Which means half of it belongs to the baby you said was my only priority."
I rolled the window back up, shutting out her desperate screams as she fell back onto the wet sidewalk.
