Chapter 1 - THE FILE HE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SEE
Dominic read the final page twice.
Then a third time.
His fingers began to shake.
Across the hospital room, Sophia Sterling watched him through the glass wall of the conference room. She had not expected him to understand everything immediately.
The document was deliberately simple.
It showed the ownership structure of Sterling-Hayes Construction.
Dominic had believed his family owned the company.
They did not.
For two years, the majority shares had been held by a private investment trust.
And the beneficiary of that trust was Audrey.
His wife.
The woman he had spent three years telling had contributed nothing to the life they shared.
Dominic slowly lowered the papers.
“This has to be fake.”
Sophia remained silent.
“Who authorized this?”
“You did.”
His eyes snapped toward her.
“What?”
“You signed the restructuring documents two years ago.”
“I signed hundreds of documents.”
“Yes,” Sophia said. “And you never read the beneficial ownership disclosures.”
Dominic stood.
“You’re telling me Audrey owns my company?”
“Sixty-two percent.”
His face went pale.
Then his phone rang.
Victoria.
He answered immediately.
“Mom.”
Her voice was frantic.
“Dominic, you need to come home.”
“I can't.”
“You don't understand. The bank called.”
“What bank?”
“The bank holding the construction credit line.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
“What did they say?”
“They said the guarantor has withdrawn authorization.”
His stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Victoria hesitated.
Then whispered the name neither of them wanted to hear.
“Audrey.”
Dominic looked through the glass wall toward Sophia.
“And there’s more,” Victoria continued.
“What?”
“They asked about the trust.”
Dominic swallowed.
“What trust?”
Silence.
Then Victoria said something that made the room seem suddenly colder.
“The trust your father created before he died.”
Dominic stared at the floor.
“My father didn't have a trust.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Mom…”
“He did,” Victoria repeated. “And Audrey's father was the trustee.”
Dominic stopped breathing for a moment.
His father had died six years before Dominic married Audrey.
At the time, Victoria had told him his father had left everything to the family.
The company.
The mansion.
The investment accounts.
Everything.
But now a terrible possibility was taking shape.
Maybe his mother had lied.
Maybe Audrey's family had known.
Maybe the entire marriage had been built around a secret Dominic had never been allowed to see.
Sophia opened the door.
“Mr. Hayes.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Where is Audrey?”
“She left the hospital last night.”
“Where did she go?”
“She didn't tell me.”
He stepped toward her.
“I need to see my wife.”
Sophia's expression hardened.
“You mean the woman you were sleeping beside while your mistress was in your bed?”
Dominic flinched.
“You don't know what happened.”
“I know enough.”
He looked down at the divorce petition.
“She filed?”
“Yes.”
“Can I stop it?”
“No.”
Dominic's voice cracked.
“Does she hate me?”
Sophia paused.
“No.”
That answer confused him more than anger would have.
“She doesn't hate you,” Sophia said. “She finally stopped needing you.”
Dominic stared at her.
Then his phone vibrated again.
A new email.
One attachment.
The subject line contained only four words:
THE NIGHT SHE FELL.
Dominic opened it.
A security video appeared.
The footage showed the mansion staircase.
The timestamp was from the night Audrey fell.
Dominic leaned closer.
Victoria appeared at the top of the stairs.
Then Audrey.
Then something happened outside the camera's frame.
Dominic froze.
Because the footage showed Victoria reaching toward Audrey.
But it also showed something else.
Someone had been standing in the hallway behind them.
Someone Dominic recognized immediately.
His mistress.
May you like
Paige.
And Paige wasn't supposed to have been at the house that night.
