Chapter 2
1449 Words
Just hours after her detention, Eidelweiss was moved to a special visitation room—a privilege afforded by the lingering influence of the CuraMedica name.
The heavy iron door creaked open, and two figures appeared in the doorway.
The first, predictably, was Joy El Nostra. His face still wore the mask of grief, though slightly more controlled. He was dressed in a crisp suit, as if he had just returned from a battle. But this time, Joy wasn't alone.
Beside him stood a woman: an attorney who radiated an aura of both sharp competence and cold beauty. Her blonde hair was styled in a modern, angular cut, and her clear blue eyes regarded Eidelweiss with a mix of professionalism and a hint of curiosity.
"My love," Joy began, his voice laced with convincing concern. "Thank God. I brought you the best lawyer I could find, just as you asked."
Eidelweiss turned her attention to the blonde woman. "Who are you?" she asked curtly.
The woman offered a thin, almost imperceptible smile. "I'm Arinra Olyxton. You can call me Arin. I specialize in high-profile corporate litigation." Arin extended a hand, a gesture halted by the bars. "I know your situation. And I guarantee I can get you released."
Eidelweiss fixed Arin with a scrutinizing stare. She was an expert at reading people. There was something too perfect about the woman before her. She didn't acknowledge Joy, her focus fully shifted to Arin.
"A lawyer?" Eidelweiss hissed. "Forget litigation. I already know this isn't just a legal issue. It's a trap. The charges are too structured to be a coincidence."
She stepped closer to the bars, her hazel gaze locking onto Arin. "I don't need freedom right now. I need clarity."
Eidelweiss struck the metal divider with her wrist, still red from the handcuffs. Her voice was low but insistent.
"Your job, Ms. Arinra, is not to defend me in court. Your job is to find out who framed me," Eidelweiss commanded, speaking as if she were still sitting in the CEO's chair and Arin was a subordinate she was interviewing.
Joy looked slightly tense beside Arin but quickly regained his composure. Arin, in contrast, simply smiled wider.
"Hunting the mastermind, a counter-investigation," Arin said, relishing the request. "A very bold move, Ms. Quinzel."
"I am not bold. I am merely efficient," Eidelweiss corrected coldly. "I want to know who benefits the most from CuraMedica's downfall, and who had the internal information to levy these charges against me. Find out and inform me."
Arinra Olyxton nodded, a newfound respect dawning in her eyes. "Very well, Ms. Quinzel. We'll begin immediately."
"Good, Ms. Arinra," Eidelweiss stated, giving Arinra Olyxton a firm look. "I will trust you and my husband to handle this. My first priority isn't freedom, it's the truth."
Joy seized the opportunity. "Of course, my love," he said softly, reaching for Eidelweiss's still-cuffed hand.
He played the loving husband perfectly. "But for us to work efficiently, you need to get out of this cell. Arin has prepared an emergency power of attorney document to give us full authority to act on your behalf at CuraMedica. This will relieve the pressure and make it easier for us to move."
Joy turned to Major Baskara, who stood overseeing the visit. "We request permission for our client to be in the interrogation room. I need to ensure she gives proper legal consent, and I want to be present while she does."
Considering Eidelweiss's status and the high-profile attorney's intervention, the permission was granted. Eidelweiss was then released from the cell and escorted to one of the interrogation rooms on the upper floor.
In the quiet, air-conditioned room, Joy and Arin sat facing Eidelweiss. A thick stack of papers lay on the table—legal documents that, at a glance, looked complicated and tedious. For an Eidelweiss who was emotionally exhausted and inherently disliked wasting time on administrative minutiae, the documents were an irritation.
"These are the power of attorney files and some supporting agreements, Ms. Quinzel," Arin explained with a convincingly professional tone. "Just formalities to temporarily transfer some authority so the company remains stable and we can focus on the case."
Eidelweiss looked at the files with a weary gaze. The exhaustion, coupled with her deep trust in Joy, made her reluctant to read. She simply reached out, taking the pen.
"Where do I sign?" she asked without preamble.
Arin and Joy exchanged a fleeting glance. Joy’s expression remained calm, but a subtle tension flickered in his eyes—a tension visible only to the two of them. Arin quickly pointed out several marked margins.
Eidelweiss scribbled her signature quickly, an elegant yet hasty flourish.
However, as she reached the final page, her professional CEO instinct was suddenly pricked. Her eyes briefly caught a line that stood out.
"Wait a minute," Eidelweiss said. She pulled the stack slightly toward her.
Arin and Joy instantly tensed up.
On that page were clauses that were highly unusual for a mere power of attorney—they were documents surrendering a large portion of Eidelweiss's personal assets as collateral or as part of an emergency 'restructuring' of share ownership in CuraMedica. If Eidelweiss read further, the deception would be exposed.
Eidelweiss merely squinted for a moment, then let out a small laugh. "These little details are truly exhausting. I trust you, Joy." She turned to her husband, her gaze full of affection and surrender. "Just proceed. Get me out, then clear my name."
The tension in Joy's shoulders immediately dissolved. He stood up, approached Eidelweiss, and kissed his wife's forehead.
"I promise, my love. No one will touch the wife I cherish," Joy whispered, his voice filled with feigned warmth. "And I won't let this case ruin our honeymoon next month. We've only been married two months, and you deserve that vacation."
The betrayal was now complete, neatly wrapped in a promise of love and a honeymoon that would never materialize.
**
It was late night, and Eidelweiss decided to watch the news to see how the media was covering her arrest.
The television screen, which she usually considered a source of lowbrow entertainment, was now broadcasting shocking breaking news. Her professional photo, taken months ago, was plastered next to the CuraMedica logo and a court seal.
The anchorwoman, speaking with a serious tone, began her report:
"Regarding the arrest of CuraMedica CEO, Eidelweiss Quinzel, on charges of embezzlement and tax fraud, we have just received highly exclusive and astonishing news."
Eidelweiss's heart pounded. She moved closer to the television, her hazel eyes narrowed sharply.
"According to our reliable sources," the anchor continued, "just hours after Ms. Quinzel’s detention, Joy El Nostra, the husband Ms. Quinzel married just two months ago, has officially filed for divorce."
Eidelweiss's entire body froze. Divorce? After his honeymoon promise in the interrogation room? A faint crease appeared on her brow as she tried to process it, seeking logic in this small act of treachery.
But the anchor wasn't finished.
"And not only that. The divorce filing was followed by an official announcement from Mr. El Nostra's legal team that all of Ms. Quinzel's personal assets, including the majority shares and full control of the CuraMedica company, have now been legally transferred. The documents submitted show that the ownership transfer was executed via a full power of attorney signed by Ms. Quinzel today, shortly before her arrest."
Instantly, all the puzzle pieces clicked into place—cruelly.
The thick document she signed because she was too lazy to read. The tense looks between Joy and Arin. The false promises of love. It was all not an attempt at freedom, but a meticulously planned robbery.
The anger Eidelweiss had suppressed all day exploded. It wasn't just anger; it was pure, unadulterated rage fueled by humiliation.
"Impossible! Joy!" Eidelweiss screamed, her voice hoarse and filled with agony.
She leaped from the bed, moving wildly toward the television screen as if to strangle the anchor. Her slender hands, just freed from the handcuffs, now struck the steel window bars in her room with full force.
"You liar! Traitor!" she roared.
In that moment, Eidelweiss Quinzel, the cold and controlled CEO, vanished. All that remained was a shocked, betrayed woman who had just realized she had signed her own financial death warrant right under her cunning husband's nose.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. The tears she had held back—tears of fury—welled up in her hazel eyes. Her company, her life's legacy, had now fallen into the hands of a husband she married only two months ago.
Joy El Nostra hadn't just framed her. He had utterly destroyed her.
- Writer
