The security director placed a hand on Dominic’s shoulder and forced him back into his chair.
Vanessa unlocked the device.
It contained messages Dominic had sent through an encrypted application, apparently believing they would disappear.
Vanessa had photographed the most important ones because she did not fully trust him.
One message described how he planned to blame the Meridian losses on Evelyn’s poor oversight.
Another said the board would remove her once Northstar threatened litigation.
A third referred to their marriage.
After the patents transfer, he had written, I file for divorce.
She gets the house and thinks she won.
She’ll never understand what the shares were worth until it’s too late.
Evelyn read the message twice.
For the first time that morning, pain crossed her face.
It was brief, but Dominic saw it.
He seized on it immediately.
“Evelyn, listen to me.
I was manipulating Vanessa.
I told her whatever kept her cooperative.
You know how deals work.”
Vanessa laughed once, without humor.
Dominic kept his eyes on his wife.
“I made mistakes,” he said.
“We can handle this privately.
We’ve been married eleven years.”
“Last night you threatened to have me removed from my own hotel.”
“You surprised me.”
“You let her throw money at my feet.”
“It was five dollars.”
Evelyn touched the folded bill.
“No,” she said.
“It was the price of seeing you clearly.”
Her lawyer, Marisol Alder, placed a new packet in front of Dominic.
He glanced at the first page.
Petition for dissolution of marriage.
His expression hardened.
“You prepared divorce papers overnight?”
“The petition was prepared three weeks ago,” Marisol said.
Dominic looked at Evelyn.
She had discovered the affair before arriving in Las Vegas.
A hotel security review had flagged repeated presidential-suite bookings made through the Meridian account.
One reservation included Vanessa’s full name.
Evelyn had not confronted him because the affair and the fraud were connected.
Acting too soon might have allowed Dominic to destroy records or complete the patent transfer.
She had come to the Sterling Crown expecting to quietly observe his meeting with Voss.
She had not expected to be publicly humiliated.
Nor had she expected Dominic to provide, in front of cameras and witnesses, such a perfect demonstration of contempt.
Dominic pushed the divorce papers away.
“I’m not signing anything.”
“You don’t need to,” Marisol said.
He turned toward the board members.
“You cannot remove me based on accusations made by an emotional spouse.”
The senior director opened a leather portfolio.
“This is not a removal hearing,” he said.
“The board voted at 6:15 this morning.”
He placed a resolution on the table.
Dominic had been terminated for cause.
