Chapter 2
"Yes?"
"Tell me this isn't real."
"What part?"
"Northstar."
I said nothing.
"Marcus Hale says you're the controlling representative of the Bennett Family Trust."
"I am."
Silence.
Then Adrian whispered, "You're Northstar?"
"Not exactly. Northstar manages several investments. But the capital supporting Sterling Technologies came primarily from my family's trust."
"Five hundred million dollars?"
"Correct."
He breathed slowly.
"You invested half a billion dollars in my company without telling me?"
"I invested in a business I believed could survive if properly governed."
"I'm your husband."
"And Sterling Technologies has other shareholders, employees, lenders, and obligations. That's why the investment wasn't a marital favor."
His breathing changed.
"Release the money."
"No."
"Laura, Halcyon closes tomorrow."
"Then your team should provide the documents Northstar requested."
"You know what happens if this acquisition collapses?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you doing this?"
I looked through the glass wall toward downtown Austin.
"I'm not doing anything to you, Adrian. I'm refusing to continue protecting you from decisions you made yourself."
"This is because of Friday?"
"Friday was why I stopped ignoring the problem."
"It was champagne."
"No."
My voice remained quiet.
"It was eleven years."
That silenced him.
Then Adrian made the mistake that finally extinguished the last piece of uncertainty inside me.
"Sienna said you might become emotional."
I almost couldn't believe it.
"She's with you?"
Another silence.
"She's helping manage the situation."
"Then let her manage it."
I ended the call.
At 10:15, Sterling Technologies' emergency board meeting began.
At 10:42, Northstar's attorneys joined remotely.
At 10:46, I entered the room.
Twenty-two executives had watched me walk away in a champagne-soaked dress three nights earlier.
Seventeen of them were in that boardroom.
This time, every person stood.
Adrian didn't.
He simply stared.
Sienna was sitting two chairs from him.
Her expression changed the moment she saw Marcus enter behind me.
"Good morning," Marcus said. "For purposes of today's meeting, Ms. Laura Bennett Sterling will exercise Northstar's governance rights."
Sienna's face went pale.
Adrian finally stood.
"Laura, can we speak privately?"
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"This is our marriage."
"This meeting isn't."
I took my seat.
"Proceed."
Marcus opened the audit summary.
The first issue concerned executive expense reporting.
The second involved Halcyon projections.
The third concerned access to confidential acquisition information.
That was when Sienna interrupted.
"I had authorization."
"From whom?" Marcus asked.
"Adrian."
Every face turned toward my husband.
Adrian rubbed his forehead.
"She needed information to coordinate schedules and materials."
Marcus looked at him.
"She had access to financial models, acquisition valuations, and lender communications."
"She's my executive assistant."
"Exactly."
The room became very quiet.
Then the chief financial officer, Rebecca Shaw, spoke.
"I raised concerns about Sienna's access three months ago."
Adrian looked at her.
"You never told me that."
Rebecca's expression hardened.
"I emailed you twice."
"Did I respond?"
"No."
"Then how do you know I saw them?"
Rebecca opened her laptop.
"Because Sienna responded from your account."
Every head turned.
May you like
Sienna stopped moving.
Adrian looked at her.
