Chapter 2 - The Paper Fortress
Richard’s smirk faltered slightly. He set his glass down on the marble console table—the one my father had imported from Italy as a wedding gift. "Who are you calling, Amanda? Stop playing games. You can't just change the locks. The prenuptial agreement we signed protects my status as an equal partner in Whitman Logistics."
"You should have read the addendum, Richard," I said, my voice completely devoid of the tears that were burning the back of my throat. "You were so eager to sign the expansion papers for the logistics company last year that you didn't look at the corporate restructuring clauses. Whitman Logistics doesn't belong to you. It’s a subsidiary of Vega Holdings—my father’s estate."
I walked toward the grand staircase, carrying Ethan. He felt lighter than usual, as if the fear had shrunk his tiny body.
"Amanda!" Richard barked, his voice losing its calm demeanor, replaced by the sharp, ugly tone he usually reserved for his employees. "Get back down here! We are sorting this out tonight. Brooke’s father is the majority shareholder in the regional port authority. If you mess with my company, you mess with the entire shipping corridor."
Brooke stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the marble. "Amanda, don't be bitter. Richard didn't love you anymore. A real man needs a woman who supports his ambitions, not someone who spends all her time traveling for corporate audits. Let's just divide the assets civilly."
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I paused on the third step, looking down at the three of them. Vivian with the stolen baby, Brooke the mistress waiting in the wings, and Richard, the man I had trusted with my life and my son's future.
"The assets are already divided, Brooke," I said softly. "You just haven't looked at the ledger yet."
