Chapter 5 - The Corporate Spy
I sat in my car in the Valeon parking garage, my hands trembling as I photographed every page of Vanessa’s notebook.
Adrian’s arrogance had blinded him. He thought he was using Vanessa to steal the company from my father. But Vanessa was an operative for Apex Dynamics. She had helped Adrian siphon the forty million to build the blackmail material, yes, but her endgame wasn't just making Adrian CEO.
Apex wanted Valeon’s proprietary algorithms. Once Adrian was CEO, he was going to approve a "strategic partnership" with Apex, quietly transferring our tech to them in exchange for Vanessa becoming CFO. Once the tech was transferred, Apex would expose the embezzlement, destroy Valeon’s stock, and buy the company for pennies in bankruptcy court.
Adrian was going to take the fall for all of it. Vanessa had made sure his digital fingerprints were all over the actual wire transfers.
My phone buzzed in my lap. It was Adrian.
"Where are you?" he demanded, his voice tight with panic.
"I'm out," I said evenly.
"Get home. Now. The board just called an emergency meeting for 2:00 PM. They want a united front. You are going to put on a nice dress, stand next to me, and tell them last night was a misunderstanding caused by your anxiety medication. If you don't, I push the button on the trust documents."
I looked at the photo of Vanessa's contract on my phone. Adrian didn't know he was holding a live grenade. He thought he had total control.
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"I'll be there," I said.
I hung up. I had enough evidence to save myself and my father, but only if I let Adrian walk straight into Vanessa's trap, destroying Valeon in the process. I had to force my husband to realize he had already lost.
