Chapter 5 - The Penthouse DesperationThe private elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Trevor Cross stumbled into the executive suite.
He looked nothing like the polished, untouchable CEO who had smiled beside Sienna Mercer on the courthouse steps nine months ago. His custom charcoal suit was rumpled, his tie hung loose and crooked around his neck, and dark, bruised circles hollowed out the skin beneath his bloodshot eyes. He looked like a man who had spent the last six hours staring into the abyss of his own ruin.
He stopped near the edge of the mahogany desk, his chest heaving, his hands trembling as he gripped the polished wood for support.
“Audrey,” he whispered, his voice cracking horribly. “Please. You have to call off the board. You have to stop the audit.”
I didn't stand up. I didn't invite him to sit down. I simply leaned back in my executive leather chair, folding my hands neatly on top of the financial briefs in front of me.
“Stop the audit, Trevor?” I asked, my voice chillingly calm. “Why should I? The auditors are just following the paper trail of the funds you illegally funneled into offshore accounts to pay for Sienna’s jewelry and your Malibu mansion.”
“I was stupid!” Trevor cried out, taking a frantic step forward, his voice rising in desperation. “I made a mistake! Sienna meant nothing to me—she was just a distraction, a phase! I left her an hour ago when I saw what she did to us. She’s packing her bags as we speak!”
A cold, humorless laugh escaped my lips.
“Oh, spare me the tragic romance confession, Trevor,” I said sharply. “You didn't leave Sienna because you realized your mistake. You left her because she’s broke, her agency dropped her, and she can't buy you a cup of coffee anymore. You only ever loved one thing in this world, Trevor: power. And the moment you thought you didn't need me to keep it, you threw me out into the rain.”
Trevor fell heavily onto his knees beside my desk, mirroring the posture of absolute defeat. He reached out, his trembling fingers hovering just above the edge of my desk as if pleading for mercy.
“We have a family, Audrey,” he choked out, tears finally spilling over his lower eyelids. “Think of the boys. They need a father. A real family unit. We can fix this. We can remarry. We can run Cross Meridian together, just like we always dreamed.”
I stood up slowly, towering over him as he knelt on the plush carpet.
“When you threw me out of your life nine months ago,” I said, every word dripping with absolute, unyielding authority, “you told me I was useless, broken, and disposable. You told me to get off your property. You laughed while my heart broke in the rain.”
I leaned down until my face was inches from his.
“My sons will have a father,” I whispered fiercely. “A man who loves them, protects them, and respects their mother. But that man will never, ever be you.”
Trevor buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with ragged, broken sobs. He had spent years building an empire on the assumption that other people were merely stepping stones to be used and discarded. He finally learned the immutable law of the universe:
You reap exactly what you sow.
“Marcus!” I called out toward the open office door.
Marcus Vance stepped into the room instantly, flanked by two corporate security officers.
May you like
“Escort Mr. Cross out of the building,” I ordered calmly. “And ensure his access badges, parking passes, and corporate keys are permanently deactivated.”
“No! Audrey, please!” Trevor screamed as the guards grabbed him by his arms, hauling him up from the floor and dragging him toward the private elevator. His cries echoed down the hallway until the elevator doors closed, sealing his exile once and for all.
Related Stories
