Chapter 2 - The Emergency Freeze
The heater in the back of my armored SUV hummed softly, thawing the freezing chill from my bones. My head of security, a towering man named Carter, had met me at the edge of the Harrington estate within three minutes of my call. My twin boys, Leo and Noah, were now safely buckled into custom medical-grade car seats, sleeping soundly under the watchful eye of a private pediatrician I had summoned.
I sat in the middle row, my laptop open on my knees, the screen reflecting a cold blue light onto my face.
"We have initiated the freeze, Ms. Vale," Marcus’s voice came through the encrypted speakerphone. "The Harrington Luxe accounts have been locked. The corporate credit cards issued to Graham Harrington and Vivian Harrington have been deactivated. And the deed to the estate on Cherry Hills is officially transitioning out of the trust’s grace period."
"What about Graham’s employment status?" I asked, my eyes scanning the financial portfolios of Harrington Luxe.
"He is currently listed as the Vice President of Regional Sales," Marcus replied. "But as of 12:01 AM, Vale International Holdings has exercised its majority shareholder option. You now hold ninety-two percent of their voting stock. You can terminate him with a single keystroke."
"No," I said, a dark gleam in my eyes. "Don't fire him yet. Let him go to work tomorrow. Let him believe he still has a job, a salary, and a future. I want him to feel the exact moment the ground disappears from beneath his feet."
I looked out the tinted window at the glowing skyline of the city. For two years, I had hidden my identity, wanting Graham to love me for who I was, not my money. I had played the quiet, supportive wife while his mother threw insults at me. I had tolerated their cruelty because I believed in the family we were building.
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But tonight, they had put my children in the snow.
"Carter," I said, closing my laptop. "Drive us to the penthouse. Tomorrow, we start the audit."
