Chapter 20 - The Unfinished Business
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The cool night air suddenly felt incredibly biting.
"Richard hired a fixer?" I asked, my mind racing through the terrifying implications. "Why now? The company is gone. The trials are over."
"He lost everything, Claire," Mara pointed out grimly. "His wife is facing massive fines, his son is a convicted felon, and his family legacy was bought at a discount by the woman who exposed them. Incompetent or not, he is still a desperate man who just lost his entire empire. Desperate men with hidden millions are dangerous."
I looked back through the glass doors into the brightly lit ballroom. My security team was present, discreet but alert, mingling among the guests. I had felt so incredibly safe, so certain that the ghosts of the Vance family had been permanently laid to rest.
"Do we know what the fixer was hired to do?" I asked, my grip tightening on my champagne flute.
"The feds don't know yet," Mara admitted. "They are trying to trace the wire transfer to determine the exact scope of the contract. But they wanted to warn us. Richard might be planning a civil retaliation, a massive smear campaign..."
She paused, looking at me with deep concern. "Or something significantly worse. They advised that you enhance your personal security detail until they can locate the firm he hired."
I stared out at the glittering skyline, the profound peace I had felt just moments ago completely shattered.
Grant and Eleanor had been the loud, obvious threats. They were the barking dogs that distracted me. But Richard had been the quiet observer, the man sitting at the head of the table, watching his empire burn, quietly holding onto a hidden war chest.
I took a slow, deep breath, the familiar, icy resolve settling back into my chest. I wasn't the naive bride in the ivory gown anymore. I was a CEO who knew how to fight in the dark.
"Ramp up the security, Mara," I ordered softly, my eyes fixed on the horizon. "Audit every single transaction in that offshore account. I want to know the name of the firm he hired before the sun comes up."
"Understood," Mara nodded, already reaching for her phone.
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I turned back to face the ballroom, the pearls resting heavily against my throat. The first war had cost him the company. I had no idea what this new war would cost, but I knew one thing for absolute certain.
I was ready to make him pay.
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