Chapter 8: The Final Piece Of The Betrayal
The voice on the phone belonged to Daniel Cross.
Nathan’s supposed enemy.
The man Nathan claimed had destroyed him.
The man who had been beside him all along.
“Why are you calling me?””
Daniel laughed quietly.
“Because Nathan made one mistake.””
“What mistake?””
“He thought everyone was disposable.””
I looked at Rebecca.
She immediately started recording the call.
“Where are you?””
“I’m not telling you that.””
“Then why contact me?””
“Because Nathan is going to run.””
My heart tightened.
“When?””
“Soon.””
“Why?””
“Because he knows Olivia turned against him.””
The room became silent.
I looked at Olivia.
She looked terrified.
“What does he have planned?””
Daniel answered:
“Leaving the country.””
I felt a cold wave pass through me.
“He can’t.””
“He can if he moves fast enough.””
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Ask him about the accounts.””
I did.
“Where is the money?””
Daniel was quiet.
Then:
“You still don’t understand.””
“What?””
“Nathan didn’t hide the money because he was afraid of being caught.””
“Then why?””
“Because he was preparing to disappear.””
The call ended.
We immediately contacted authorities and began securing every document we had.
But Nathan was faster than we expected.
At 6:00 p.m., I received an email.
From him.
Only one sentence.
*You should have stayed quiet.*
Attached was a photo.
My house.
Taken that morning.
Someone had been watching me.
Rebecca immediately contacted security.
“This has escalated.””
I looked at the photo.
For the first time, I wasn’t just hurt.
I was afraid.
Not because Nathan could hurt my feelings.
That part of me was already gone.
I was afraid because I finally understood who I had married.
A person who could look at twelve years of love and see only an obstacle.
That night, Olivia sat beside me.
“I’m sorry.””
I looked at her.
“For what?””
“For bringing this into your life.””
I shook my head.
“You didn’t create him.””
She looked down.
“No.””
A pause.
“But I helped him.””
I didn’t answer.
Because that was true.
Then she said:
“There’s something I haven’t told you.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
“The night you found us…”
Her voice shook.
“I wasn’t supposed to be there.””
“What do you mean?””
“Nathan invited me.””
My stomach dropped.
“He planned for you to see us?””
She nodded.
“I think so.””
“Why?””
“Because he wanted you angry.””
I frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.””
“It does if he needed you emotional.””
Rebecca looked up.
“An emotional person makes mistakes.””
I understood.
Nathan wanted me to explode.
To confront him.
To create a scene.
To look unstable.
Everything could be used against me.
“He wanted evidence.””
“Yes.””
The realization made me sick.
The betrayal wasn’t accidental.
It was designed.
The next morning, we prepared for the confrontation.
Nathan had requested a meeting.
He wanted to “settle everything.””
We knew better.
When I entered the office, Nathan was waiting.
He looked calm.
Too calm.
“Clara.””
I sat down.
“You wanted to talk.””
“Yes.””
He placed papers on the table.
“A divorce agreement.””
I looked at them.
“You’re still doing this?””
“I’m trying to make this peaceful.””
I almost smiled.
Peaceful.
That word had become meaningless coming from him.
“What happens if I refuse?””
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“Clara.””
“No.””
I pushed the papers back.
“You don’t get to pretend this is a normal divorce.””
Nathan leaned forward.
“You don’t know what you’re doing.””
“I know exactly what I’m doing.””
His eyes narrowed.
“You think you’re winning?””
I looked at him.
“No.””
I paused.
“I think you already lost.””
For the first time, Nathan looked angry.
The real Nathan appeared.
Not the charming husband.
Not the businessman.
The man underneath.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.””
I stood.
“Actually, Nathan…”
I placed a folder on the table.
“I do.””
His face changed.
“What is that?””
“Proof.””
The silence was immediate.
Nathan opened the folder.
The moment he saw the first page, all color left his face.
“You can’t have this.””
I smiled slightly.
“You’re right.””
I walked toward the door.
“I couldn’t.””
I looked back.
“But Olivia could.””
His eyes moved toward the hallway.
And that was when he realized.
Olivia wasn’t standing with him anymore.
She was standing against him.
Nathan whispered:
“You have no idea what you’ve started.””
I stopped.
“What does that mean?””
He looked at me.
And smiled.
A terrifying smile.
“Ask your father.””
I froze.
“My father?””
Nathan sat back.
Because he knew something I didn’t.
Something about my family.
Something buried years ago.
May you like
Then he said:
“The company you inherited was never what you thought it was.””
