At Ashford Holdings,
Focusing on one crisis would risk another issue spiraling out of control. Nevertheless, Damien had to rush to the company to deal with CFO Charlie Harmon, while others were still searching for Vivienne.
There were already police cars parked outside the building. He went upstairs to the finance departnt, where a group of officers were questioning Charlie privately while another team collected necessary docunts from the finance departnt.
His eyes zeroed in on Linette Rowe, who was surrounded by other directors and, obviously, Lawrence.
As he approached Linette, the other directors dispersed, but Lawrence remained. Damien ignored Lawrence and spoke directly to the chairman. "Chairman Rowe, you didn’t have to involve the police when Ashford Holdings is already in the news every other day."
His project had started to have a positive effect on the company, but the change in the Chairman was earning mixed opinions.
Lawrence responded before Linette could even reply. "Yeah, Damien’s right. That way, he could have buried the scam himself."
Damien glared at Lawrence, but the latter just smirked. Lawrence wanted Damien’s loyal allies to abandon him one by one.
Linette responded to Damien with asured authority. "Director Ashford, this isn’t sothing small that can be resolved with a warning or termination. This is massive financial fraud." Then she walked over to the lead officer to get updates on the situation.
Damien watched Charlie through the glass walls of the conference room. The CFO sat in stony silence, refusing to answer any questions.
"This is just the beginning, Damien." Lawrence’s voice dripped with satisfaction as he noted that Damien’s composure was finally cracking.
Damien could only grit his teeth and instruct his secretary, "Get Clara here. Now."
"Tsk..." Lawrence interjected mockingly. "Damien, we aren’t lending our company lawyers to fraudsters, are we?"
Damien buried his urge to punch Lawrence in the face. He stepped forward as the officers erged with Charlie in handcuffs. "I need a minute with the CFO." He said.
Officer Nate, Scarlett’s boyfriend, flatly refused. "No. Any contact with anyone is strictly prohibited until we trace where the money went." Even a casual conversation or random word could reveal passwords or transfer thods to erase the trace.
Charlie glared directly at Damien as he spoke to Nate. "Officer Rousseau, I request protection for my family because I won’t be going down alone."
Damien’s blood ran cold. If he wasn’t allowed to speak with Charlie, how was he supposed to contain this disaster? How could he manage damage control when his own CFO was clearly preparing to turn in the evidence?
Nate concealed his satisfaction and instructed another officer. "Take Harmon into custody. I’ll arrange protection for his family."
Clara arrived just in ti to witness the CFO being led away in handcuffs. She followed Damien to his office, where he imdiately confronted her.
"Clara, if he goes down, he’ll take us all with him. What solution do you have?"
Clara looked confident, not because she had thoroughly thought this through, but because she saw an opportunity to eliminate Aveline and secure her own safety.
"There is a solution, but it costs more than money," she said carefully.
"What?"
"Divorce Aveline Laurent."
’SLAM.’
Damien’s hands crashed onto his desk as he shot to his feet. His face flushed crimson with fury as he glared at Clara. His breathing beca ragged, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Clara Reeve."
It wasn’t just about losing Aveline, he would lose the Project Crown contract and the pri location that ca with it. Why would he sacrifice everything he had worked for?
To any observer, his reaction would suggest he loved his wife dearly. However, Clara wasn’t fooled. She wasn’t naive enough to believe Damien had married Aveline out of love, so his anger didn’t intimidate her.
She calmly presented her case. "If you divorce Ms. Laurent, Madam Ashford’s power of attorney becos null and void. Then Maxwell Ashford regains his rights to her shares in her absence. You could change the chairman and handle this case internally with just a fine."
She paused to let that sink in.
However, Damien wasn’t prepared to divorce Aveline. He shook his head vehently, demanding a different solution.
Clara continued. "If not, convince your wife to replace the chairman."
Damien knew Aveline would never agree to that. She was all about morals and principles, and Linette was doing good for the company.
Clara pressed on after another pause. "Transfer all the money from your shell accounts to Charlie Harmon’s na. That way, he becos the sole criminal. Or find a scapegoat," she added coldly.
But transferring the shell company assets would an losing the money. Damien needed it to beco the largest investor in Project Crown.
"Get out," Damien roared.
Clara took a step back but didn’t leave. "Charlie Harmon sent an email to four of us. We have twenty-four hours before he starts talking."
’Four of us?!’ Damien swept his hand across a stack of files, scattering papers across the floor. "Why did he have to include Simon?" he hissed in frustration.
Clara didn’t respond. She quietly bowed her head and walked away. Of all the options, divorcing Aveline remained the simplest solution. She hoped Damien would see reason.
Damien opened his personal email and found a new ssage from an anonymous sender. His hands trembled as he read:
Subject: Final Deal
Ti: 24 hours.
Tomorrow, 16:00 hours, I go public. Everything, the transactions, the nas.
Keep safe, and you survive. Try to silence ?
Then everything gets sent to the authorities... automatically.
I die, you burn.
The clock’s ticking.
Damien’s head buzzed with white noise. His vision blurred montarily, and he felt as though he were trapped in a sealed room where all the oxygen had been consud. The walls seed to press inward as panic clawed at his chest.
His hands shook violently as he scrolled to see who else had received the email:
-Damien Ashford
-Clara Reeve
-Victor Hale
-Simon Cladwell
Damien read the last na twice, his heart hamring against his ribs. Then he grabbed his monitor and hurled it to the floor. Glass and wires scattered across the marble as he staggered backward, chest heaving like he had been punched in the gut.
The na Simon Cladwell burned behind his eyes like a brand. If Simon was involved, then Damien wasn’t at the top of the food chain anymore.
He was just prey.
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