Allie Patterson POV:
I leaned over the mahogany table, following the tip of Jamie's red-polished fingernail to the block of text she had highlighted on the screen. Ten years ago, sitting on a greasy floor, typing code with one hand and eating cold pizza with the other, I had jokingly told Jamie to make sure there was a rule that if he ever betrayed me, I'd take everything. She had laughed and turned my joke into binding legal jargon.
The bold text on the screen read: *Section 14.3 Breach of Moral and Fiduciary Duty (The "Betrayal Clause").*
I stared at the words, my voice dropping to a soft whisper as I read aloud. "If any shareholder is proven to have committed a breach of fiduciary duty that severely damages the company's reputation, or maliciously misappropriates company assets for non-commercial personal desires..."
Jamie leaned back in her chair and finished the sentence for me, her voice ringing with lethal satisfaction. "...the non-breaching party has the right to forcibly acquire all shares held by the breaching party for the price of one dollar."
I inhaled sharply, the air burning my throat. I couldn't believe it. A stupid, paranoid joke from a decade ago was now the only weapon I had left to save my life's work.
"Is this even valid?" I asked, my technical mind searching for bugs in the logic. "Didn't he hire that fancy corporate firm to redo the bylaws three years ago?"
Jamie sneered, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "Grayson is an arrogant fool. Those cheap lawyers he hired only updated the Series B financing terms. They were too lazy, or too scared, to touch the core founder agreement."
She pulled up the latest database from the Secretary of State and pointed at the bottom of the screen. "Look. The original articles are still attached as a valid, binding exhibit."
My eyes lit up. The last shred of grief and heartbreak incinerated, replaced entirely by the roaring fire of revenge.
"So," I said, locking eyes with Jamie to confirm the parameters. "If I prove he embezzled company funds to buy Kacey a house, I can execute this clause and take his ninety percent of the shares?"
"Not just the shares," Jamie said. She picked up the crystal glass of whiskey and downed it in one swallow. "If a scandal like this blows up right before the IPO, the SEC will get involved. He will face federal felony charges for wire fraud."
I slumped back into the heavy leather chair. I exhaled a long, heavy breath. The crushing weight that had been sitting on my chest since I opened that envelope finally shifted, giving me room to breathe.
"But I need hard financial proof," I said, my brain instantly switching back into Chief Architect mode. "The property deed only proves he bought a house. It doesn't prove the cash came from the company."
Jamie nodded sharply. "Exactly. You need to hack into the company's deep financial system and pull the raw, underlying transaction logs."
"That's easy," I said, my voice dripping with absolute, cold confidence. "I'm the super admin."
Just as the words left my mouth, my phone vibrated violently against the wood table, shattering the silence in the room.
I looked down. The screen lit up with the caller ID: *Hubby*, accompanied by a bright red heart emoji.
I stared at the screen. A wave of pure, visceral nausea hit the back of my throat. I reached out, my finger hovering over the red decline button.
Jamie's hand shot out and gripped my wrist tightly. Her eyes were sharp and commanding. "Answer it. Right now, you are the perfect, clueless wife."
I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes for two seconds, forcing my facial muscles to relax, locking away the rage. I opened my eyes, swiped the green button, and hit speakerphone.
"Baby, what are you doing?" Grayson's magnetic, incredibly gentle voice filled the soundproof room.
I made eye contact with Jamie. She rolled her eyes and mimed gagging herself with her finger.
"Just finished a massive block of code. I'm a bit tired," I replied, forcing my vocal cords to produce the exact tone of exhausted, obedient devotion he expected from me.
"You work too hard, my genius," Grayson lied smoothly, without a single stutter. "I just finished my meeting with the board. I'm heading home now."
I remembered Kacey's mocking voice from two hours ago: *He's in the shower.* I dug my fingernails into my thigh, using the physical pain to stop myself from laughing out loud.
"Okay, I'll wait for you," I said, my voice as soft and light as a feather.
"What do you want for dinner?" Grayson continued, playing the role of the attentive husband flawlessly. "I'm passing by the Chinese place. I'll grab your favorite General Tso's chicken, okay?"
"Sure, anything cheap," I replied, throwing his own manipulative PUA logic right back at him. "We need to save money for the IPO."
A low, highly satisfied chuckle came through the speaker. "You're always so understanding. See you soon, love you."
I tapped the screen, cutting the connection. I stared at the black glass, my eyes turning to solid ice. I looked at Jamie.
"Let the games begin."
