Chapter 10 - The Ultimate Witness
Grant stared at her, the confusion and exhaustion colliding in his brain with violent force. "Your deposition? What are you talking about? Who put you here?"
Natalie set her coffee cup down on the bare metal table with a sharp clack. She reached into her Prada handbag, pulled out a thick legal disclosure document stamped with the Aethelgard corporate seal, and tossed it onto the table.
"Aethelgard’s legal team contacted me at noon," Natalie said, her voice entirely devoid of emotion. "They presented me with a comprehensive forensic audit of every luxury-brand partnership contract, international trip, and apartment lease you funded using corporate subsidiary funds over the last three years."
Grant’s blood ran cold. He took a step toward her. "Natalie, listen to me. Whatever they told you—we can work around it. I have hidden reserves in offshore accounts—"
"You don't have anything, Grant," she interrupted sharply, cutting him off with a wave of her hand. "Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I’m going to ruin my entire career, get hit with federal accessory charges, and lose my luxury-brand partnerships to protect a man who went from owning a multi-million-dollar real estate empire to squatting in an empty office building by breakfast?"
"I took care of you!" Grant shouted, the desperation finally breaking through his controlled facade. "I bought you everything you wanted!"
"And I gave you my time in return," Natalie replied coldly, picking up her handbag and stepping past him toward the doorway. "The transaction is complete. Aethelgard offered me full immunity from corporate fraud prosecution in exchange for my complete testimony regarding your financial routing schemes. My lawyers signed the agreement twenty minutes ago."
She paused at the threshold, turning her head slightly to look back at him one last time.
"For what it's worth, Grant... your wife is terrifying," Natalie said softly. "You never stood a chance."
Before Grant could respond, Natalie walked out of the office, her heels clicking rhythmically down the empty executive hallway until the sound faded completely into silence.
Grant stood alone in the center of the hollow room, surrounded by bare walls and empty glass. He lowered himself slowly onto the single folding chair, staring at the blank metal table.
May you like
His phone buzzed one final time in his coat pocket. The screen flashed a weak, dying red light before going completely dark.
As the display faded to absolute black, the heavy oak doors at the end of the hallway clicked open, and the sound of heavy, deliberate footsteps began to echo across the hardwood floor.
