CHAPTER THREE
1103 Words
Emily stood frozen in Gael’s office, the photograph still trembling in her hand.
“Soon everything will belong to us.”
The words sent a cold shiver down her spine.
She looked again at the woman beside Gael, then turned the photo over again to find something, but she couldn't find anything.
There was no name, no date on it.
Just that one sentence.
Her chest tightened.
“So this is bigger than I thought,” she whispered to the empty room.
The betrayal she had been processing all night suddenly felt deeper, colder.
This wasn’t just a divorce.
It was a takeover.
Emily quickly placed the photograph back inside the folder and pulled out the other documents in the drawer.
Contracts.
Investment reports.
Transfer approvals.
Some of them had Gael’s signature.
Some had hers.
But many of the transactions were recent.
Her phone buzzed again.
And this time it wasn’t a message from her financial manager.
It was a news notification.
BREAKING: EMPIRE TECH UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR POSSIBLE FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT
Emily’s breath caught.
“What….?”
“He is moving faster than I thought.”
She opened the article quickly.
The report was already spreading across several financial news platforms.
The headline repeated the same accusations Daniel had mentioned earlier.
Reckless investments.
Company instability.
Executive mismanagement.
And her name appeared everywhere.
Emily Carter.
CEO of Empire Tech.
The article claimed that several investors had begun withdrawing funding after “losing confidence in leadership.”
Her hands slowly tightened around the phone.
“Gael…” she whispered.
This wasn’t just a legal battle.
He was destroying her reputation.
Her phone started to ring nonstop.
Calls flooded in one after another from board members, investors, and even reporters.
Emily silenced the phone.
She wasn’t ready to speak to anyone yet.
Her eyes moved slowly around Gael’s office again.
Seven years.
Seven years of marriage.
Seven years of trust.
And now she was standing in a room that felt like it belonged to a stranger.
Emily took the photograph again and slipped it into her bag.
Proof.
She needed every piece of it.
Because if Gael thought he could destroy her quietly, he had clearly forgotten who she was.
The next morning was very chaotic.
By the time Emily arrived at the company headquarters, reporters had already gathered outside the building.
Cameras flashed.
Microphones stretched toward her.
“Ms. Carter! Is it true you’re under investigation?”
“Did you approve of reckless investments?”
“Are you stepping down as CEO?”
Security quickly escorted her through the lobby.
The whispers started immediately.
Employees stood in small groups.
Phones in their hands.
Everyone had seen the news.
Emily walked straight to the executive floor without stopping.
Daniel was already waiting in the conference room when she arrived.
His expression was grim.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t see the news until after we talked,” he said.
Emily dropped her bag onto the table.
“Too late.”
Daniel pushed several printed articles toward her.
“It’s everywhere now.”
Emily skimmed the headlines.
Every article told the same story.
Emily Carter’s leadership under investigation.
Investors pulling out.
Company instability.
Her jaw tightened.
“This is coordinated,” she said quietly.
“Yes,” Daniel replied.
“Someone leaked financial records to the press.”
“Gael?” Daniel asked.
“Most likely.”
Emily leaned back slowly in the chair.
“And the board?”
Daniel hesitated.
“They called an emergency meeting this morning.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed.
“And?”
“They’re questioning whether you should remain in control while the investigation continues.”
Emily let out a quiet laugh.
A humorless one.
“So the board is panicking.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
“Investors withdrawing makes them nervous.”
Emily folded her arms.
“They built this company with me.”
“They also want to protect their money,” Daniel said carefully.
Before Emily could respond, the conference room door opened.
Three board members stepped inside.
Their expressions were stiff and formal.
The oldest of them, Mr. Whitmore, cleared his throat.
“Emily.”
“We need to discuss the current situation.”
Emily stood slowly.
“I’m listening.”
Whitmore placed a folder on the table.
“Due to the accusations of financial mismanagement and the ongoing legal dispute with Mr. Hayes…”
Emily’s stomach tightened.
“…the board has voted to temporarily remove you from executive authority until the investigation concludes.”
Silence filled the room.
For a moment, Emily didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Daniel stepped forward immediately.
“This decision is premature.”
Whitmore shook his head.
“It’s a protective measure for the company.”
Emily finally spoke.
“You’re removing me from the company I built?”
Whitmore avoided her eyes.
“Temporarily.”
Emily felt the anger rising in her chest again
.
But this time she didn’t slam the table.
She didn’t shout.
Instead, she smiled.
A small, calm smile.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
Gael had already secured control of the assets.
Now the board was removing her authority.
Which meant he had successfully isolated her from her own empire.
Emily slowly picked up the folder and flipped through the documents.
Then she closed it.
“You’ve made your decision.”
Whitmore nodded.
“Yes.”
Emily grabbed her bag.
“Then I’ll make mine.”
Daniel followed her out of the room quickly.
“Emily..”
But she stopped walking halfway down the lobby when her phone buzzed again.
It was another message from her financial manager.
Emily opened it.
And the color drained from her face.
Daniel noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
Emily slowly turned the screen toward him.
The message read:
Emergency notice: Several major shareholders have begun selling their stock. Market confidence is collapsing.
Daniel swore under his breath.
Emily stared at the words, and suddenly the hallway around her seemed to tilt.
The voices of employees nearby blurred into distant noise.
Her grip on the phone loosened.
The screen slipped slightly in her hand
.
“Emily?” Daniel said sharply.
But before she could answer, the strength left her legs.
The pressure, the betrayal, the weight of everything crashing down at once—it was too much.
Her vision darkened.
And Emily collapsed.
Daniel rushed toward her immediately.
“Em! Emily!”
His voice echoed through the hallway as he caught her before she hit the floor.
Employees nearby gasped, rushing closer in alarm.
But Emily heard none of it.
The empire she had spent years building…
…was starting to crumble.
- Writer
