Chapter 6 - Freezing the Fortress
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Jeffrey slammed his palms onto the desk, leaning over me with a look of pure aggression. "You think a few legal papers can strip me of my power? I ran this company for two years while you were living lavishly in Europe!"
"You ran this company into three million dollars of unauthorized debt, Jeffrey," I said, pulling up a financial ledger on the desktop monitor. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice the wire transfers from the London expansion fund into a private shell company registered in the Cayman Islands?"
Cynthia went completely rigid beside him. Her hand instinctively clutched her luxury leather handbag.
"That... that was an investment fund," Jeffrey stammered, his bravado slipping for a split second.
"It was an allowance account for your mistress," I corrected, my voice ringing clear through the spacious office. "You used my company's capital to buy Cynthia a condo in Midtown, purchase two sports cars, and fund her family's vacations. All while my son was eating dirt under the dining table."
"Madeline, listen to me," Jeffrey tried to soften his tone, stepping around the desk with a fake look of desperation. "We had marital problems. I made mistakes. But we can work this out privately. Think about Liam! Do you want him growing up in a broken home?"
I let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You already broke his home, Jeffrey. You broke his spirit. But I am going to rebuild him."
At that moment, two uniformed security officers entered the office.
"Mr. Carter, Miss Vance," the head of security said sternly. "You have been revoked of all building clearance. We need you to surrender your keys, your security badges, and your corporate devices immediately."
"You can't do this to me!" Cynthia shrieked as an officer stepped up to take her phone. "Jeffrey, do something!"
"I am the CEO!" Jeffrey shouted, backing away toward the door. "My mother will destroy you for this, Madeline! She has contacts on every charity board in Atlanta!"
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"Your mother is currently standing on the front lawn of the Buckhead house," I said, sliding a document across the desk. "Because the sheriff served her with an emergency eviction notice thirty minutes ago. All her designer luggage is sitting on the curb."
Jeffrey stared at me, his eyes wide with horror as the reality of his total collapse finally hit him.
