We can talk privately.”
Tessa stared at him.
“You said the marriage was finished.”
Grant ignored her.
“Eleanor, we’re having a child.
None of this needs to become public.”
Eleanor looked at the trash bag on the rug.
“You gave me forty-four minutes to leave my home.”
“I made a mistake.”
“You called me unstable because I was sick from carrying your baby.”
“I was scared.”
“You threatened to take the baby before it was even born.”
Grant opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Charles Wren tapped the red file.
“That is not the only threat we are discussing.”
He opened it.
Inside were reimbursement forms, wire confirmations, hotel invoices, and copies of electronic signatures.
Several payments had been approved under the names of board members who had never seen them.
The chief financial officer spoke.
“Three months ago, our internal audit flagged transfers from the client development account.
Mr.
Mercer classified them as confidential acquisition expenses.
Yesterday, we confirmed that the receiving company was formed by Ms.
Vale.”
Every face turned toward Tessa.
She gripped the cardigan with both hands.
“Grant told me it was a consulting company.”
“It paid for your apartment, vehicle lease, travel, jewelry, and personal credit cards,” the chief financial officer said.
“He said they were part of my compensation.”
Grant rounded on her.
“Do not say another word.”
Tessa flinched.
Eleanor saw, in that instant, the structure of their relationship.
Tessa had enjoyed the cruelty when it was aimed at Eleanor.
She had worn the cardigan and lifted Eleanor’s cup because Grant had made her feel chosen.
But she had never been his partner.
She had been another person he expected to control.
Mrs.
Voss looked toward Grant’s attorney.
“Mr.
Pike, did your client disclose these payments before asking you to prepare an emergency safety petition against Eleanor?”
Pike closed his document envelope.
“No.
I am withdrawing from the petition and from further representation in this matter.”
Grant’s composure finally cracked.
“You cannot all walk in here and decide I am guilty of something.
I built Mercer Systems.
I brought in every major client.
I made that company valuable.”
“You also pledged company assets as security for personal borrowing,” Wren said.
“Without board authorization.”
“Temporary borrowing.”
“You forged two directors’ signatures.”
“Those were administrative approvals.”
“And you attempted to transfer this penthouse as collateral last week,” Mrs.
