For the first time since I had known him, the man who could silence a boardroom with one look seemed completely lost.

“What did you do?” he asked again.

I didn’t answer.

The bank representative was still speaking through his phone.

Aaron listened for several seconds.

Then his expression hardened.

“You can’t freeze that account.”

A pause.

“I’m the CEO of Prescott Technologies.”

Another pause.

His jaw tightened.

“I said I’m the CEO.”

I could hear the faint voice from the other end.

Then Aaron went completely silent.

Finally, he lowered the phone.

“What did they say?” I asked.

He looked at me.

“They said you’re the controlling beneficiary.”

I nodded.

“And?”

“They said I need your authorization for the credit facilities.”

I smiled faintly.

“Now you understand.”

He shook his head.

“No. I don’t.”

His voice became desperate.

“You don’t just get to shut down my company because you’re angry about a seat.”

“This isn’t about the seat.”

“Then what is it about?”

I looked directly at him.

“Four years.”

He stared at me.

“Four years of me believing I was married to a man who valued me.”

His expression changed.

I continued.

“Four years of being told I was lucky to have you.”

“You were never—”

“Four years of watching you take everything I gave you and slowly convince yourself you created it alone.”

Aaron stepped toward me.

“Alyssa, I made the company.”

“No.”

My voice remained calm.

“You made the company visible.”

He said nothing.

“I made sure it survived.”

One of the executives behind him suddenly spoke.

“Mr. Prescott…”

Aaron turned.

“What?”

“The board members are already joining the emergency call.”

Aaron’s eyes narrowed.

“Who called the meeting?”

The executive hesitated.

“Your wife.”

Silence.

Aaron looked at me.

“You called the board?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t.”

“I already did.”

His phone rang again.

This time it was his chief legal officer.

He answered.

“What?”

The lawyer’s voice was loud enough for several people to hear.

“Mr. Prescott, we have a serious problem.”

“What problem?”

“The thirteen foundational patents.”

Aaron’s face tightened.

“What about them?”

“The ownership records have been reviewed.”

“And?”

“The patents aren’t solely owned by Prescott Technologies.”

Aaron stopped breathing for a moment.

I watched him carefully.

The lawyer continued.

“They’re held through an intellectual property trust.”

Aaron looked at me.

“Who controls the trust?”

He already knew.

But he needed to hear it.

The lawyer said:

“Alyssa Prescott.”

Aaron closed his eyes.

Jasmine suddenly stepped forward.

“This is insane.”

I turned toward her.

She froze.

“You knew?” I asked.

She looked confused.

“Knew what?”

“That Aaron was hiding the financial structure from you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I studied her face.

“You’re right.”

She relaxed.

For half a second.

Then I added:

“You didn’t know everything.”

Her expression changed.

I turned toward my attorney, who had just arrived.

He handed me a folder.

“Everything you requested is here.”

I opened it.

Inside were copies of bank transfers.

Patent agreements.

Board resolutions.

Private correspondence.

And one document I had never seen before.

A consulting agreement.

Between Jasmine Reed and a competing company.

I looked at the signature.

Then at Jasmine.

She went pale.

Aaron noticed.

“Jasmine?”

She couldn’t speak.

I closed the folder.

“That’s why you took my seat.”

Aaron looked confused.

“What does that mean?”

I looked at him.

“Ask your secretary.”

Then I walked toward the waiting car.

Behind me, I heard Aaron say her name again.

This time, Jasmine didn’t answer.

Because the woman who had stolen my seat had just realized she was sitting in the middle of a much bigger trap.

And I had only opened the first folder.

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