Chapter 14 - THE LAST LIE
David had purchased two tickets.
One for himself.
One under my name.
A flight to Switzerland.
Investigators believed he intended to make it look as though I had fled after participating in the financial fraud.
My passport copy was in his luggage.
So were forged documents.
Bank records.
A second phone containing messages written to appear as though they came from me.
He had planned everything.
If he won, he took Sterling Global.
If he lost, he blamed me.
David was charged.
More charges would come later.
Vanessa agreed to cooperate.
Adrian remained in legal trouble for the assault, fraud, and forged documents.
The empire he had spent a decade building collapsed within days.
Vale Capital's board removed him as CEO.
Several divisions were sold.
Employees were protected through a restructuring Dad's team helped arrange.
I insisted on that.
I didn't want hundreds of innocent people losing jobs because Adrian had destroyed his own life.
Dad looked at me strangely when I told him.
“What?”
“You're still trying to save people.”
“The employees didn't hurt me.”
He nodded.
“You sound like your mother.”
I looked across the room where Mom was speaking with Daniel.
“I don't know how I feel about that yet.”
“You don't have to.”
That was new.
Dad had stopped trying to tell me how to feel.
A week later, Adrian requested to see me.
I almost refused.
Then I went.
Not for him.
For me.
He sat behind glass.
No tailored suit.
No powerful office.
No Vanessa beside him.
Just Adrian.
He picked up the phone.
I did too.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Finally, he said, “I'm sorry.”
I stared at him.
He continued.
“I know that doesn't mean anything.”
“No.”
“I keep replaying that night.”
“Which part?”
His eyes lowered.
“All of it.”
“The twenty times?”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
“The divorce?”
“Yes.”
“The affair?”
“Yes.”
“The forged signature?”
“Yes.”
“The part where you knew someone tried to kill me and said nothing?”
He closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
I leaned closer to the glass.
“That one should keep you awake.”
He nodded.
“It does.”
I expected satisfaction.
I felt none.
“I did love you,” he said.
I almost smiled.
“That might be the saddest part.”
He looked confused.
“You loved me, and you still did all of this.”
He had no answer.
I continued.
“You know what I realized?”
“What?”
“You never wanted a wife.”
His eyes stayed on mine.
“You wanted an audience.”
He swallowed.
“You wanted someone to admire you, depend on you, make you feel powerful.”
I shook my head.
“And the moment you suspected I might have power of my own, you started resenting me.”
His eyes filled.
“I was afraid you'd leave.”
“So you became someone I had to leave.”
Silence.
Then he asked, “Can you ever forgive me?”
I thought carefully.
“Maybe.”
Hope appeared in his face.
I crushed it with the truth.
“But forgiveness won't mean reunion.”
His face fell.
“I will never come back to you.”
He nodded slowly.
I stood.
“Claire.”
I paused.
“There was one thing Vanessa never knew.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“The night she said she was pregnant, I had already decided I wanted the divorce.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
His answer surprised me.
“Because I knew you were starting to see who I really was.”
I held the phone tightly.
Then put it down.
May you like
As I walked away, I realized Adrian had finally told me the truth.
And it didn't hurt anymore.
