Chapter 7 - The Final Break
My father fell to his knees on the marble floor, grasping his hands together in a desperate plea.
"Emma, I was wrong!" he wept openly. "I made a terrible mistake! I'll publicly clear your name! I'll tell everyone Logan did it! Just tell Alexander to withdraw the SEC complaint and release the funding! We will lose the house by Friday!"
I looked down at my father. For my entire life, Richard Whitmore had seemed like an imposing giant—a man whose approval I would have given anything to earn.
Now, kneeling on the floor, weeping over his money and his precious reputation, he looked small. Pathetic.
"It's too late, Dad," I said softly. "You aren't sorry you hurt me. You're just sorry you got caught."
"Emma, please!" Vanessa pleaded, reaching out toward me. "What about Mom? What about me? My husband is talking about divorce because of the scandal!"
"You stood by and watched them destroy me for seven years, Vanessa," I replied, looking her straight in the eye. "You enjoyed being the favorite too much to ever care about the truth. You made your bed. Now you get to sleep in it."
Alexander stepped forward, his tall frame looming over my father. "Marcus, have security escort Mr. Whitmore and his daughter off the premises. If they attempt to contact Emma again, we will file a restraining order immediately."
Two massive security guards stepped out of the elevator, firmly grabbing my father and sister by the arms and guiding them back into the car.
"Emma! You're a monster!" Vanessa screamed as the elevator doors began to close. "You ruined us!"
"No," I called out right before the doors shut completely. "You ruined yourselves."
When the elevator dropped, the penthouse fell quiet once more.
I stood in the center of the room, my chest heaving as tears finally spilled over my eyelashes. But they weren't tears of sadness—they were tears of immense, overwhelming relief.
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Alexander walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me close against his chest. I turned around, burying my face in his suit jacket, and cried for all the years I had lost.
"It's over, Emma," Alexander whispered, resting his chin on my head. "It's finally over."
