Chapter 92
Rowan's POV
Colin flipped through the documents, his expression shifting from skepticism to reluctant interest. "This is... actually not terrible. If we move fast enough, we could position ourselves as the only viable option before she can shop the company around."
"Exactly. And once we control enough debt, we can restructure the company's governance. Remove Vivian from operational control, install professional management, stabilize the client base."
"And conveniently eliminate her ability to use the company as leverage over Lena."
"That's a secondary benefit."
"Secondary. Sure." Colin closed the folder. "Fine. I'll set up the shell company structure. But Rowan—this level of separation is expensive. Offshore registration, multiple layers of holding companies, trustees who ask no questions... You're looking at significant legal and administrative costs just to maintain anonymity."
"I don't care about the cost."
Colin studied me for a long moment. "You really can't let her go, can you?"
The question struck deeper than I wanted to acknowledge. Letting Lena go had been the hardest thing I'd ever done. Watching her walk out of my life, shoulders straight and eyes dry, while I sat frozen in place because I'd long since lost the right to ask her to stay.
"This is a business decision," I said instead. "Nexus Investment represents an opportunity. Nothing more."
"Keep telling yourself that." Colin stood, tucking the folder under his arm. "I'll make some calls. But when this blows up in your face—and it will—remember that I warned you."
After he left, I sat alone with my coffee and the weight of what I was about to do.
Colin was right. This was dangerous, possibly futile, definitely going to end badly if Lena ever discovered the truth.
But I'd spent two years in a contract marriage with her, two years watching her navigate her family's dysfunction with quiet strength, two years failing to see what she needed until it was too late.
I couldn't give her what she deserved—real affection, emotional availability, the kind of partnership that wasn't defined by legal agreements and expiration dates.
But I could give her freedom from her mother's manipulations.
Even if she never knew who'd cut the chains.
My phone buzzed with a message from Jack: Mrs. Grant scheduled lunch with Gerald Johnson for next Tuesday. Should I continue monitoring?
I typed back: Yes. And accelerate the Nexus timeline. We don't have as much time as I thought.
Then I pulled up the acquisition documents and got to work.
Somewhere across the city, Lena was probably in her office, building her new life, fighting her battles alone. She'd made it clear she didn't want my help, didn't need my interference, wanted nothing from me except distance.
So I'd give her that distance.
But I'd be damned if I let Vivian Grant sell her to the highest bidder.
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Lena's POV
Office, 3:00 PM
Rachel knocked twice before entering, her expression carrying that particular combination of urgency and confusion that meant something didn't add up.
"Lena, you need to see this." She set her laptop on my desk, the screen displaying Nexus Investment's latest financial monitoring report. "There's been unusual activity in their debt structure over the past seventy-two hours."
I leaned forward, scanning the document. Three major creditor banks had suddenly demanded early repayment. More concerning—sixty percent of the company's floating debt had been acquired by mysterious third parties.
"The board's held two emergency meetings in the last two days," Rachel continued, pulling up meeting schedules. "And nobody's talking about why."
My first instinct was immediate: Vivian was moving assets ahead of the divorce proceedings. Classic defensive maneuver—transfer liabilities, hide valuables, make yourself look broke on paper while maintaining actual control.
But as I studied the numbers more carefully, something felt wrong. The execution was too precise, too surgical. The debt purchases had been coordinated across multiple entities, the timing perfectly calculated to maximize pressure while minimizing visibility.
This wasn't Mother's style. She excelled at emotional manipulation and social pressure, not sophisticated financial warfare. She'd always relied on lawyers and accountants to handle the technical details while she wielded relationships like weapons.
"Keep monitoring everything," I said, forwarding the report to my personal folder. "Especially these third-party acquisitions. I want to know who's buying Nexus's debt and why."
"You think it's your mother?"
"I don't know." I pulled up my phone, scrolling to Alexander's contact. "But I intend to find out."
Rachel hesitated at the door. "Should I contact our financial analyst? Get a deeper dive?"
"Not yet. Let's see what Alexander can tell us through his commercial networks first." I didn't want to create a paper trail until I understood what we were dealing with. "And Rachel—this stays between us for now."
After she left, I sat back in my chair, staring at the report. The board meetings, the sudden debt movements, the coordinated pressure—someone was making a play for Nexus. The question was whether Vivian was the architect or the target.
Thirty minutes later, Alexander's call came through.
"I've got updates on Maria Bergmann," he said without preamble. "None of them good."
I put him on speaker, pulling up my notes. "What did you find?"
"More accurately, what I didn't find." His frustration was audible. "Her domestic records are completely sealed. Immigration, social security, banking systems—everything's been scrubbed or locked down. My tech team says this level of information blocking requires government or intelligence-level clearance."
My pen stilled against the notepad. "You're saying she has protection."