Chapter 5 - The Fall of the House of Beaumont
The silence in the boardroom was so heavy you could hear the distant hum of the building’s central ventilation system.
Nathan stared down at the termination letter as if it were a death sentence. The man who had strutted through the flagship store two days ago acting like an untouchable king was now completely dismantled, his empire dissolving beneath his feet like salt in water.
“You can’t do this, Claire,” Nathan choked out, his voice cracking with pathetic desperation. He reached across the table, trying to grab my wrist. “We’ve been married for eleven years! We’re husband and wife! Talk to me! We can fix this!”
I pulled my arm back sharply, stepping out of his reach with cold revulsion.
“You lost the right to talk to me when you raised your hand against me in my store,” I said, my voice ringing out with absolute, chilling authority across the room. “And you lost the right to this company the moment you thought you could exploit my silence.”
I turned my gaze to Vanessa, who was desperately trying to back toward the double doors unnoticed.
“And as for you, Ms. Blake,” I added smoothly, raising my voice. “Your employment contract includes a strict moral turpitude and corporate embezzlement clause. Security is waiting outside to escort you off the premises and hand over your financial records to the district attorney’s office.”
Vanessa stopped dead in her tracks, turning pale as a sheet. All her arrogance vanished, replaced by sheer terror as the reality of her complicity in Nathan’s financial crimes set in.
“You can’t... you can’t do this!” Vanessa shrieked, her voice cracking. “Nathan, tell her! Do something!”
Nathan didn't look at her. He didn't even look up from the table. He sat slumped in his executive chair, defeated, broken, and completely alone.
Two corporate security guards stepped into the boardroom, flanking Vanessa on either side before she could say another word, and guided her firmly out of the room. The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind her, sealing her fate.
I turned back to the remaining board members, who sat in stunned, respectful silence, waiting for my next instruction.
“The emergency audit will continue through the week,” I announced calmly, buttoning my blazer. “Meeting adjourned.”
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I picked up my briefcase, turned away from the man who had tried to break me, and walked out of the boardroom with my head held high.
The face was gone. The foundation had taken over. And Beaumont & Hart was finally going to be built to last.
