Chapter 11 - The Hot Mic
|
The revelation of the altered numbers pushed Arthur past his breaking point. The patriarch gripped his cane, his knuckles turning white.
“I’m firing them both,” Arthur rasped, his voice echoing in the quiet study. “I will call an emergency board meeting tomorrow morning. I’ll strip Ethan of his titles, throw Vanessa out of the building, and cancel the anniversary gala.”
“No,” Evelyn said instantly.
Arthur stared at her, bewildered. “Evie, he is stealing your work and parading his mistress around my offices. I will not let him humiliate you publicly on Saturday.”
“He is already humiliating me privately,” Evelyn countered, stepping away from the window. “If you fire him now, what happens? Ethan plays the victim. Vanessa spins it to the press that you’re a paranoid, aging founder who refuses to let the next generation lead. They will claim I poisoned you against him because I was jealous of the affair.”
Rachel nodded slowly, a predatory smile forming on her lips. “She’s right, Arthur. In the court of public opinion, the mistress and the golden boy will make you look like tyrants.”
“So we just sit there and let him lie to our investors?” Arthur demanded.
Martin Shaw, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, pulled out a flash drive. “There’s one more thing you need to hear.”
He plugged it into a laptop. “Vanessa and Ethan had a virtual meeting with the design team yesterday. Everyone logged off, but the conference bridge kept recording for another five minutes.”
Martin hit play.
Vanessa’s voice filled the room, slick and confident. “What happens if Evelyn figures out how much of Lantern is in the deck? She’s smart, Ethan.”
Ethan’s laugh echoed from the speakers, dripping with arrogance. “Nothing. I’ve been married to her for nine years. Evelyn hates making a scene. She’ll get angry, go into her little office, organize her documents, and wait for everybody to behave correctly. She’s docile.”
Vanessa laughed. “So we just make sure nobody ever thinks she had anything important to say.”
“Exactly,” Ethan replied.
Evelyn reached out and pressed the spacebar, killing the audio.
May you like
Arthur looked physically sick. The illusion of his son was entirely shattered. Ethan wasn't brainwashed by Vanessa. He was a willing, calculated participant in his wife's destruction.
Evelyn looked at Arthur, her eyes burning with an unholy calm. “Don't cancel the gala. Let him stand up in front of the world and claim my work. Let him choose his fate.”
