Chapter 14 - The Ring
Malcolm Cross picked up the second folder. He opened it with trembling hands, scanning the printed emails and the highlighted bank transfers. He was watching his entire legacy burn to ash in real-time, ignited by the sheer stupidity and greed of his own son and wife.
He found one specific email, printed in bold ink. Malcolm read the message aloud, his voice breaking with disbelief.
"Once she’s tied to us legally," Malcolm read, looking up at Daniel with absolute disgust, "her father will have no choice but to pay. We own her now."
Vivian looked at Daniel, her eyes wide with panic. Daniel couldn't meet his father's gaze. He stared at the floor, breathing heavily, entirely trapped.
I reached into my pocket. My fingers brushed against the cold metal of the diamond wedding ring Daniel had placed on my finger just four days ago.
I pulled it out and placed it gently on top of the stack of incriminating emails.
"My attorney filed the paperwork for an absolute annulment this morning," I said, my voice ringing with finality. "Based on the undeniable grounds of extreme fraud and criminal conspiracy."
"Claire, please," Daniel begged, finally looking up, tears of sheer desperation forming in his eyes. "We can fix this. I'll go to rehab. I'll make it right."
"I am also filing a massive civil suit against you and your mother for the assault," I continued, completely ignoring his pathetic pleas. "Every single dollar I recover in damages, every asset we strip from your family, will be placed into a blind trust to fund medical treatment and legal support for survivors of domestic and chemical assault."
Before Daniel could respond, the heavy boardroom doors swung open for a third time.
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Two uniformed police officers entered, accompanied by a detective holding a fresh stack of warrants.
"Daniel Cross," the detective announced. "I have a new warrant for your arrest. You are being charged with massive financial fraud, wire fraud, and felony obstruction of justice."
