Chapter 2 - THE TENTH PAGE
Nathan stared at the tenth page of the document. The fine print blurred under the warm, amber lighting of the restaurant.
It was a bank statement. But not his personal account, and not the joint checking account he and Olivia used for groceries and mortgage payments.
It was the master ledger for Reed Commercial Real Estate. The firm he had spent the last six years building. The firm that carried his name on the glass doors of a downtown high-rise.
Except his name was nowhere on this ledger.
The primary account holder, the sole guarantor of the massive lines of credit that kept the company afloat, was listed clearly.
Carter Holdings, LLC.
Olivia’s maiden name.
Across the table, Madison shifted in her chair. The romantic tension of the evening had evaporated, replaced by a cold, sharp panic. She reached for her wineglass, her manicured fingers trembling slightly.
"Nathan," Madison whispered, her voice tight. "What is that? What did she send you?"
Nathan couldn't speak. He flipped back to the third page. It was a photocopy of the original articles of incorporation for his company. He remembered signing them. He remembered celebrating with expensive scotch.
What he had forgotten—or perhaps, what his ego had conveniently erased—was that Olivia had provided the initial three-million-dollar capital. He had assumed it was a marital investment. A wife supporting her husband.
He looked closely at the signature line. Below his name, in plain black ink, was a subordination clause.
He was the CEO. But Olivia was the holding company. She owned the debt. She owned the equity. She owned him.
"Nathan!" Madison hissed, glancing nervously at the surrounding tables. "People are looking. Tell me what's going on."
He finally looked up at the woman he had promised a new life to. The woman who admired his power, his wealth, his status as a real estate mogul.
"She owns it," Nathan choked out, the words tasting like ash. "Olivia. She owns the firm."
Madison’s perfectly shaped eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean? It's Reed Commercial. It's your company."
"It's her money," he said, the reality crashing down on him. "I'm just an employee."
Madison stared at him. The adoration he was so used to seeing in her eyes flickered, then vanished. In its place was something calculating. Cold.
"So what does this mean for the promotion?" Madison asked. "For the Vice President spot you promised me?"
Nathan blinked. His marriage was dissolving in front of him, his entire identity as a self-made man was being stripped away in a crowded restaurant, and Madison was asking about her job title.
"I don't know, Madison. I don't think I can give it to you now."
She sat back in her chair. The warmth left her face entirely.
"I see," she said.
Nathan felt a sickening lurch in his stomach. The reversal hit him like a physical blow. He had thought he was the prize. He had thought Madison loved him for his charm, his drive. But looking at her now, he realized she had only loved the man who could hand her the keys to the kingdom.
And he didn't have them.
He looked back down at the envelope. There was one more thing inside. A small, heavy object wrapped in a piece of tissue paper.
He unwrapped it.
It was a heavy silver key. The type used for high-security safety deposit boxes.
Attached to the key was a small white tag with a handwritten note.
Check box 402 at First Texas Fidelity. Ask yourself who else has a key. — O.
Nathan stared at the silver metal. First Texas Fidelity was where he kept his private contracts. The ones he hid from the IRS. The ones Madison had helped him draft.
"Madison," Nathan said slowly, his heart pounding against his ribs. "Did you take anything to the bank this week?"
May you like
Madison wouldn't meet his eyes. She picked up her clutch purse and stood up from the table.
"I think I should take a cab home," she said.
