CHAPTER 3 – The Lies That Built an Empire
Forty-eight hours later, Ashford Global Logistics no longer resembled the company Nathan had built.
Trading of its shares had been suspended.
Its board of directors had voted unanimously to remove Nathan as CEO pending criminal and financial investigations.
The evidence I had quietly collected over eight months painted a devastating picture.
Secret shell companies.
Fraudulent invoices.
Money routed through overseas accounts controlled by Celeste.
Kickbacks disguised as consulting fees.
Every transfer.
Every signature.
Every recorded conversation.
Dad hadn't fabricated a single piece of evidence.
He simply delivered everything to the authorities at once.
Nathan finally realized the truth during his first meeting with his attorneys.
"You knew?"
He stared at me across the conference table.
"You planned this."
I looked at him calmly.
"No."
"I planned to survive."
"You planned everything else."
Celeste was sitting beside her own lawyer.
She no longer looked glamorous.
She looked exhausted.
"You manipulated him," she whispered.
I almost smiled.
"No."
"I gave both of you enough freedom to reveal exactly who you were."
Nathan slammed his fist onto the table.
"I loved you!"
I met his eyes.
"You don't whip someone two hundred times because you love them."
"You do it because you believe they'll never leave."
May you like
Silence settled over the room.
Even his attorneys couldn't defend that.
