Chapter 7 - An Unexpected Visitor
Saturday morning began with the rare luxury of sleeping in.
I was sitting at my kitchen island in a comfortable oversized cashmere sweater, reviewing a fresh batch of supplier proposals for our upcoming winter jewelry collection, when the doorbell chimed.
I frowned, checking the wall monitor.
Standing on my front porch, looking disheveled in a wrinkled designer trench coat and unshaven, was Nathan.
He didn't look like the untouchable CEO of Beaumont & Hart anymore. He looked desperate, hollowed out, and utterly unraveled.
I walked over to the heavy oak door, unlocked the deadbolt, and opened it six inches, keeping the security chain latched firmly in place.
“What do you want, Nathan?” I asked, my voice completely devoid of emotion.
Nathan stared at me through the gap, his eyes bloodshot and frantic. “Claire... please. You have to open the door. We need to talk. Just five minutes.”
“We have nothing to talk about, Nathan. Lawyers handle our communication now,” I replied steadily.
“They froze my personal accounts!” Nathan hissed, his voice cracking with panic. “They won't let me access my credit cards, my car lease is in default, and Vanessa blocked my number the second the police questioned her about the embezzlement files! Claire, you can’t do this to me. We’re husband and wife!”
“We were business partners in a fraudulent marriage where you treated me like an employee you could strike when things didn't go your way,” I said, looking him dead in the eye. “You made your choices, Nathan. You thought you could build an empire on a foundation of sand while kicking away the stone holding it up. Deal with the gravity.”
“Claire—!”
May you like
I slid the deadbolt back into place and walked away, leaving his frantic pounding echoing faintly against the heavy wood.
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