Chapter 6
The board meeting at Ashford Industries was a bloodbath.
Dominic stood at the head of the table while seven directors questioned whether he was still fit to lead. The Meridian acquisition offer was on every screen.
"They're offering above market value," said Henderson, the longest-serving board member. "Given our current losses, this is generous."
"It's a gutting," Dominic said through his teeth. "They don't want to buy us. They want to strip us for parts."
"With respect, sir, our pharmaceutical division is our only valuable asset. And the patent it's built on—"
"What about the patent?"
Henderson exchanged a glance with legal counsel.
"There are... questions about its provenance."
The room went very quiet.
Dominic's father had acquired that patent twenty years ago. It was the foundation of everything. The drug, the revenue stream, the company's entire valuation.
"What kind of questions?"
The lawyer cleared his throat. "Meridian's legal team is alleging that the patent was obtained through fraudulent means. They claim the original inventor was Dr. Catherine Voss. And that her research was... misappropriated."
Dominic felt the floor tilt beneath him.
"If they can prove it," Henderson said quietly, "we don't just lose the acquisition fight. We lose the patent entirely. And face criminal liability."
The meeting ended without resolution.
Dominic drove to his father's estate.
Edward Ashford was seventy-two, retired, and living on a vineyard he'd bought with profits from a dead woman's work. He greeted his son with a glass of wine and a smile.
"Dominic. What brings you out here?"
"Catherine Voss."
The glass paused halfway to Edward's lips.
"Who?"
"Don't." Dominic's voice was a blade. "I know about the patent. I know what you did."
Edward set the glass down slowly.
"Whatever that girl told you—"
"That girl is my wife."
Edward blinked.
"Elena... is Catherine Voss's daughter?"
"You didn't know?"
His father's expression answered for him. Genuine shock—followed by something darker. Calculation.
"Well," Edward said, recovering. "That's unfortunate."
"Unfortunate." Dominic let out a sound that was almost a laugh. "You stole from her mother. Her mother died. I married her daughter without knowing. And now she's coming for everything."
Edward waved a hand dismissively. "She can't prove anything. The original records were destroyed."
"Were they?"
For the first time, Edward looked uncertain.
"If anyone kept copies, it would have been Catherine herself."
"And who inherited Catherine's estate?"
The color drained from Edward's face.
Dominic stood up.
"You built our family on a crime. And now I'm the one who's going to pay for it."
He drove back to the city with his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
That night, he went to Elena's hotel.
The front desk wouldn't give him her room number.
"I'm her husband," he said.
The receptionist checked her screen and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, sir. The guest has specifically requested no visitors. Especially you."
He stood in the lobby for twenty minutes before leaving.
On the way out, his phone buzzed. A text from Vivian:
*"Come home, baby. I made dinner. Let's forget about all this stress."*
He stared at it.
Then he typed: *"How long have you known Elena's real identity?"*
The three dots appeared, disappeared, appeared again.
Then nothing.
She never responded.
---
Dominic stood at the head of the table while seven directors questioned whether he was still fit to lead. The Meridian acquisition offer was on every screen.
"They're offering above market value," said Henderson, the longest-serving board member. "Given our current losses, this is generous."
"It's a gutting," Dominic said through his teeth. "They don't want to buy us. They want to strip us for parts."
"With respect, sir, our pharmaceutical division is our only valuable asset. And the patent it's built on—"
"What about the patent?"
Henderson exchanged a glance with legal counsel.
"There are... questions about its provenance."
The room went very quiet.
Dominic's father had acquired that patent twenty years ago. It was the foundation of everything. The drug, the revenue stream, the company's entire valuation.
"What kind of questions?"
The lawyer cleared his throat. "Meridian's legal team is alleging that the patent was obtained through fraudulent means. They claim the original inventor was Dr. Catherine Voss. And that her research was... misappropriated."
Dominic felt the floor tilt beneath him.
"If they can prove it," Henderson said quietly, "we don't just lose the acquisition fight. We lose the patent entirely. And face criminal liability."
The meeting ended without resolution.
Dominic drove to his father's estate.
Edward Ashford was seventy-two, retired, and living on a vineyard he'd bought with profits from a dead woman's work. He greeted his son with a glass of wine and a smile.
"Dominic. What brings you out here?"
"Catherine Voss."
The glass paused halfway to Edward's lips.
"Who?"
"Don't." Dominic's voice was a blade. "I know about the patent. I know what you did."
Edward set the glass down slowly.
"Whatever that girl told you—"
"That girl is my wife."
Edward blinked.
"Elena... is Catherine Voss's daughter?"
"You didn't know?"
His father's expression answered for him. Genuine shock—followed by something darker. Calculation.
"Well," Edward said, recovering. "That's unfortunate."
"Unfortunate." Dominic let out a sound that was almost a laugh. "You stole from her mother. Her mother died. I married her daughter without knowing. And now she's coming for everything."
Edward waved a hand dismissively. "She can't prove anything. The original records were destroyed."
"Were they?"
For the first time, Edward looked uncertain.
"If anyone kept copies, it would have been Catherine herself."
"And who inherited Catherine's estate?"
The color drained from Edward's face.
Dominic stood up.
"You built our family on a crime. And now I'm the one who's going to pay for it."
He drove back to the city with his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
That night, he went to Elena's hotel.
The front desk wouldn't give him her room number.
"I'm her husband," he said.
The receptionist checked her screen and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, sir. The guest has specifically requested no visitors. Especially you."
He stood in the lobby for twenty minutes before leaving.
On the way out, his phone buzzed. A text from Vivian:
*"Come home, baby. I made dinner. Let's forget about all this stress."*
He stared at it.
Then he typed: *"How long have you known Elena's real identity?"*
The three dots appeared, disappeared, appeared again.
Then nothing.
She never responded.
---