Chapter 8 - The Ashes and the Blueprint
By the following week, the storm had finally begun to clear.
Evan and Natalie had been formally indicted on multiple counts of wire fraud, grand larceny, and conspiracy. Their high-profile wedding had turned into a high-profile criminal proceeding, with tabloids tracking every dramatic courtroom appearance. Natalie had filed for divorce from Evan before the ink on their marriage certificate had even dried, desperately trying to pin the entire embezzlement scheme on him.
It wouldn't work. The digital logs showed both of their fingerprints all over the shell companies.
At LatticePoint, the atmosphere had shifted entirely. The cloud of betrayal was gone, replaced by a fierce, united loyalty. The employees knew that I hadn't folded under pressure; I had protected what we built with my bare hands.
On a quiet Tuesday evening, I stood on the balcony of my office on the thirty-second floor, holding a cup of black coffee. The sun was setting over the Austin skyline, painting the clouds in brilliant shades of orange and gold.
My phone buzzed in my blazer pocket.
It was a text from an unknown local number.
*Claire… I know you won't reply. But I just want you to know I’m sorry. I threw away everything real for a lie. I hope one day you can forgive me.*
I looked at the message for a long moment.
Then, I blocked the number.
May you like
I didn't feel anger. I didn't feel sadness. I just felt… light. The ghost of Evan Pierce was finally gone from my life, and with him, every ounce of dead weight holding me back.
***
