Chapter 5
The aftermath was immediate.
By midnight, Cole Industries stock had dropped fourteen percent. By morning, the financial pages were running one headline: "ASHFORD HEIR REVEALS IDENTITY—COLE INDUSTRIES IN CRISIS."
Alexander showed up at the penthouse at six AM, looking like he hadn't slept.
"You lied to me," he said, his voice raw. "Three years—you lied to me about who you are."
I was eating breakfast. I didn't look up.
"I never lied. I told you my name was Vivian. I never said I was nobody."
"Your family owns my company!"
"Correction." I set down my fork. "My family owns the majority share of your company. I personally own the intellectual property licenses your R&D department depends on. And the offshore accounts that fund your quarterly bonuses? Those route through Ashford subsidiaries."
He collapsed into a chair, shaking.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why did you hide it?"
"Because I wanted to know if you could love me without knowing what I was worth." I finally met his eyes. "And now I have my answer."
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"I'm filing for divorce," I said. "My lawyer will contact yours today."
"No!" He lurched forward. "Vivian, please—I made a mistake—Rebecca means nothing—"
"A mistake?" I stood. "You took my jewelry off my body and put it on another woman. You took her to our event. You registered her as your partner in front of the entire city. That's not a mistake, Alexander. That's a choice."
"I'll fix it—I'll fire her—I'll—"
"You'll do nothing. Because as of this morning, I've frozen Ashford's capital injection into Cole Industries. You have approximately ninety days before your operating costs exceed your revenue."
His face crumbled.
"You're destroying me."
"No," I said softly. "You destroyed us. I'm just removing my support."
I walked past him toward the door, then paused.
"Oh—and the penthouse? It's in my name. You have forty-eight hours to collect your things."
I heard him break behind me—a sound somewhere between a sob and a scream.
I kept walking.
I didn't look back.
By midnight, Cole Industries stock had dropped fourteen percent. By morning, the financial pages were running one headline: "ASHFORD HEIR REVEALS IDENTITY—COLE INDUSTRIES IN CRISIS."
Alexander showed up at the penthouse at six AM, looking like he hadn't slept.
"You lied to me," he said, his voice raw. "Three years—you lied to me about who you are."
I was eating breakfast. I didn't look up.
"I never lied. I told you my name was Vivian. I never said I was nobody."
"Your family owns my company!"
"Correction." I set down my fork. "My family owns the majority share of your company. I personally own the intellectual property licenses your R&D department depends on. And the offshore accounts that fund your quarterly bonuses? Those route through Ashford subsidiaries."
He collapsed into a chair, shaking.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why did you hide it?"
"Because I wanted to know if you could love me without knowing what I was worth." I finally met his eyes. "And now I have my answer."
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"I'm filing for divorce," I said. "My lawyer will contact yours today."
"No!" He lurched forward. "Vivian, please—I made a mistake—Rebecca means nothing—"
"A mistake?" I stood. "You took my jewelry off my body and put it on another woman. You took her to our event. You registered her as your partner in front of the entire city. That's not a mistake, Alexander. That's a choice."
"I'll fix it—I'll fire her—I'll—"
"You'll do nothing. Because as of this morning, I've frozen Ashford's capital injection into Cole Industries. You have approximately ninety days before your operating costs exceed your revenue."
His face crumbled.
"You're destroying me."
"No," I said softly. "You destroyed us. I'm just removing my support."
I walked past him toward the door, then paused.
"Oh—and the penthouse? It's in my name. You have forty-eight hours to collect your things."
I heard him break behind me—a sound somewhere between a sob and a scream.
I kept walking.
I didn't look back.