Chapter 6 - The Unraveling CommencesAt 2:00 AM, inside the private, high-security study of the Lauron townhome, four people sat in absolute silence around an oval glass table.
A top pediatric obstetrician from New York Presbyterian Hospital had just finished conducting a thorough bedside ultrasound using portable high-resolution equipment. He wiped the gel from Elise’s abdomen and looked up with a relieved smile.
"The fetal heartbeat is strong, Miss Lauron," the doctor reported softly. "152 beats per minute. The placenta suffered no detachment during the fall. However, your right wrist has severe soft-tissue bruising, and your shoulder is sprained. You must rest."
"Thank you, Doctor," Elise said gently. "Vivien will handle your fee."
Once the physician left the room, the remaining three people leaned forward. Sitting beside Vivien were two men: Julian Sterling, chief legal counsel for Lauron Enterprises, and Marcus Vance (no relation to Arthur Vance), the head of internal forensic audits for the conglomerate.
On the massive wall-mounted monitor, the high-definition security footage from the Ashford Grand Hotel played on a continuous loop.
They watched Daniel drag Elise behind the pillar. They heard his voice crisp and clear through the directional audio microphones: “You embarrassing, brainless bitch! How am I supposed to introduce a plain, penniless nobody like you as my wife?!” They saw him slap the sonogram into the puddle. They watched him shove her violently to the floor, and they saw him walk away smiling while Michelle Vance straightened his tie.
Julian Sterling, a veteran trial attorney who had defended multinational corporations in federal court, slammed his leather binder shut with a heavy thud.
"This is open-and-shut aggravated domestic battery, felony endangerment of a pregnant woman, and corporate misconduct," Julian said, his voice dripping with venom. "I can have a federal judge sign a warrant for his arrest before sunrise."
"No warrants yet, Julian," Elise said from her leather armchair. She was holding a cup of warm chamomile tea, her injured wrist wrapped in a tight beige compression bandage. "If you arrest him now, he gets to play the victim. He’ll hire a cheap lawyer, claim it was a domestic dispute, and hide behind his company's HR department."
She turned her gaze toward Marcus, the forensic auditor. "What did you find in Metroline’s internal ledgers?"
Marcus opened a thick red file folder. A cold, vicious smile touched his lips.
"Daniel Hawkins is an arrogant idiot, Miss Lauron," Marcus reported crisply. "He thought he was untouchable because he was sleeping with CFO Arthur Vance’s daughter. Over the last eighteen months, Daniel has padded his division's expense accounts by nearly $450,000. He billed Metroline for luxury weekend trips to Miami, designer jewelry purchases, and private apartment rentals—all under the guise of 'client acquisition expenses.'"
"And who approved those expense reports?" Elise asked smoothly.
"Arthur Vance," Marcus replied. "The CFO signed off on every single fraudulent voucher to keep Daniel happy and loyal to his daughter. It's systematic embezzlement, corporate tax fraud, and kickback conspiracy."
Elise leaned back in her chair, staring at the frozen image of her husband smiling on the screen.
"So Daniel didn't just assault me tonight," Elise murmured, a dark, poetic smile gracing her features. "He brought down the entire executive board of Metroline Dynamics."
"Tomorrow's emergency board meeting was scheduled for 9:00 AM to formally confirm Daniel's promotion to Senior VP," Vivien noted, checking her tablet. "Arthur Vance has already sent out the champagne invitations to all major shareholders."
May you like
Elise set her tea cup down on the saucer with a small, definitive clink.
"Keep the champagne on ice, Vivien," Elise said softly, her dark eyes flashing with absolute, terrifying authority. "I would hate for them to celebrate on an empty stomach."
