Chapter 3 - The Audit of the Holloway EmpireBy 4:00 PM, the festive white balloons and pastel decorations of the baby shower were completely abandoned. The thirty guests had fled the estate in total shock, leaving only the Holloway family, Brielle, Marcus Vance, Bridget Colton, and me.
Inside the sprawling marble living room, Brielle sat on the velvet sofa, weeping into a handkerchief, surrounded by her own parents, who had rushed over after receiving her frantic text message.
Preston sat slumped in an armchair, his tie undone, his posture ruined, while Cynthia stood by the fireplace, her hands shaking as she tried to sip cold water.
Bridget Colton opened three thick leather binders bound in red seals, sliding high-definition financial ledgers flat onto the glass coffee table:
THE FRAUDULENT PRENUPTIAL: Proof that Preston had used his hidden medical diagnosis to trick Brielle into signing a prenuptial agreement that stripped her of corporate equity if she failed to produce a biological heir.
THE BENNETT TRUST RECOVERY: Certified court orders showing that Preston had embezzled $12 million from my grandfather's maritime trust during our marriage to cover up his failing real estate firm.
THE CORPORATE SEIZURE: Legal notices confirming Vance Global Capital had executed immediate foreclosure on Holloway Enterprises due to default on maritime shipping loans.
Marcus Vance stood towering near the window, his six-foot-three frame casting a broad, protective shadow over my twin boys, who were happily drawing pictures with crayons at the dining table.
"Preston," Marcus declared flatly, his deep baritone carrying an apocalyptic weight. "Your real estate firm went into federal receivership at three o'clock today. And as of this moment, you owe the Bennett Estate twelve million dollars."
Brielle’s father, Arthur Vance (no relation to Marcus), stood up from the sofa, his face red with righteous fury as he glared at Preston.
"You sterile, lying sociopath!" Arthur roared, pointing a shaking finger at Preston. "You married my daughter to hide your impotence, used her pregnancy to secure a corporate loan from my bank, and tried to frame your innocent ex-wife!"
"Arthur... please!" Preston wept, falling flat onto his knees on the rug, groveling frantically. "I loved Brielle! I wanted a family!"
"Who is the real father of Brielle's baby, Preston?" Bridget Colton asked with cold, surgical satisfaction.
Brielle lowered her handkerchief, her hazel eyes filled with a sharp, lethal clarity as she looked down at the pathetic man weeping on the floor.
May you like
"The baby is my ex-fiancé's, Preston," Brielle revealed coldly, every word dropping like a block of iron. "I knew six months ago that you were cheating on your corporate taxes. I reconnected with my ex because I needed a real man, not a coward who uses women as shields."
Preston froze. He looked up at Brielle, his jaw sagging open in complete, absolute destruction.
Related Stories
