Chapter 6 - The Unraveling
Adrien looked between Evelyn and Luca Moretti, his mind visibly struggling to connect the dots of the nightmare unfolding around him.
“You... you know each other?” Adrien whispered, the realization finally hitting him like cold water.
“We share mutual acquaintances in corporate restructuring,” Luca replied smoothly, leaning against the back of an empty chair.
Evelyn pulled out the chair next to Adrien—the one he had pulled out for her at countless dinners—and sat down. She opened her own leather folder, sliding a single sheet of paper across the table toward him.
It was the municipal records search confirmation.
NO RECORD FOUND.
Adrien stared at the red stamp, his face turning the color of chalk.
“You... you checked?”
“I went to the county records office the morning after your little anniversary celebration at the Bellamy Hotel,” Evelyn said, her voice eerily calm. “Lovely blouse Vanessa was wearing, by the way. Silk suits her. Almost as well as it suits the trash can outside.”
Adrien’s hands began to shake. He looked at his attorneys, but they were already packing their briefcases, eager to distance themselves from a man about to be crushed beneath federal fraud charges.
“Evelyn, please,” Adrien begged, abandoning all pretense of dignity as he reached across the table toward her. “We can talk about this. At home. Just you and me. Don’t ruin everything we built—”
“We didn't build anything, Adrien,” Evelyn interrupted, her eyes hardening into shards of ice. “You built a house of cards using my father’s name, my inheritance, and a fake marriage license. You thought you could treat me like a piece of furniture you could trade in whenever something shinier caught your eye.”
“I’m your husband—”
“You’re a fraud,” Evelyn corrected sharply. “And as of ten minutes ago, the board of Hart Holdings has voted unanimously to void every single contract, share transfer, and financial agreement bearing your signature over the past two years.”
She turned to the notary, who was sitting frozen behind his stamp.
“Cancel the transfer. File the motion of corporate fraud against Mr. Cole.”
The notary nodded rapidly, stamping VOID across the documents with a heavy, satisfying thack.
Adrien slumped back into his chair, the color entirely drained from his face. His career, his stolen wealth, his social standing—all of it had vanished in less than ten minutes.
“And what about Moretti?” Adrien whispered, staring up at Luca with wide, terrified eyes. “What does he want?”
May you like
Luca stepped forward, resting both hands on the table and leaning in close.
“I want my name off your garbage,” Luca said quietly. “And as for the rest of your debts... federal investigators are currently auditing your personal accounts. They’ll be at your apartment within the hour.”
