Chloe let out a strangled gasp. Several board members glared at her.
Harrison raised his hands in a frantic, defensive gesture. "Nora, it was a mistake! I was in debt! The lifestyle, the cars... I just wanted to feel like I belonged here. Like I was a real king, not just some guy who married a girl he thought was broke!"
"So you stole from me," I said flatly. "And when the hole got too deep, you took out a corporate bridge loan to cover the missing cash before the audit."
I pulled the final piece of paper from my folder—the signature page of the loan. I slid it across the polished wood until it stopped against his shattered water glass.
"And you forged my name as the guarantor," I whispered, leaning over the table so only he could feel the full weight of my wrath. "You tried to frame me for your felonies. You tried to send the mother of your child to federal prison to save your own skin."
"I didn't know it was your company!" he sobbed, the arrogant titan completely broken, tears streaming down his face. "I thought you were just a nobody! I thought the loan would bounce and I'd figure something else out! I'm sorry! I'll give it back! I'll sign whatever you want!"
"You already did," I said, straightening my posture. "By accepting the Vice President nomination on the record five minutes ago, you assumed full fiduciary liability for the Midwest division. You legally owned the fraud."
I looked up and nodded to Marcus, who was standing by the double doors.
Marcus opened the doors wider. Four Chicago police detectives walked into the boardroom, their badges flashing in the morning light.
"Harrison Vance," the lead detective said, stepping up behind his chair. "Stand up. You're under arrest for corporate embezzlement, wire fraud, and forgery."
"No, no, no!" Harrison screamed, fighting as the detectives pulled his arms behind his back and clamped the steel handcuffs around his wrists. He looked at me, his eyes wide with absolute terror. "Nora! Please! I'm your husband! I love you!"
"You loved the illusion of power," I said softly. "But you never knew what real power looked like."
The detectives hauled him away. As they dragged him toward the door, Chloe tried to slip out of the guest gallery and escape into the hallway.
"Officers," I called out, stopping them in their tracks. I pointed a finger directly at Chloe, who froze in terror. "She’s the secondary signatory. Take her, too."
Chloe burst into hysterical tears as a female detective grabbed her arm, reading her Miranda rights over her panicked apologies.
The heavy oak doors closed behind them, shutting off the sound of Harrison's pleading.
The boardroom was dead silent.
I looked down at the puddle of water and the shattered glass on the mahogany table. Then I looked up at the twenty board members staring at me with a mixture of awe and absolute respect.
I took a deep breath, the cold weight in my chest finally dissolving. I placed my hand on my stomach, feeling a strong, reassuring kick against my palm. I was done hiding.
"David," I said, my voice steady and clear. "Cancel the Midwest division's expansion plans. Consolidate the assets, and let's get back to work."