Chapter 76: The Confrontation Part Two

Sebastian showed up at the Adriatic at six AM, looking like he'd been awake all night. Which, based on the coffee cups in his car and the manic energy radiating off him, he probably had been.

Harper opened the door to Eleanor's suite still in her pajamas, morning sickness making her movements careful and deliberate.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said without preamble.

"Good morning to you too." Harper stepped aside to let him in. "Tell you what specifically? There's been a lot happening."

"The pregnancy test. The positive one I found in the bathroom trash." Sebastian closed the door, leaned against it. "Three days, Harper. You knew for three days and didn't say anything."

Harper's defenses rose automatically. "I was going to."

"When? After the baby was born?" His voice cracked. "Did you think I wouldn't want to know? That I wouldn't care?"

"I thought you'd think I trapped you!" The words exploded out of her. "We were careful, Sebastian. Every single time. And then suddenly I'm pregnant right when Marcus is circling and the contract's been leaked and everything's falling apart. How was that supposed to look?"

"Like an accident. Like life." Sebastian pushed off the door, closing the distance between them. "Not like a trap. Never like a trap."

"You say that now."

"I say that always." He grabbed her hands, desperate. "Harper, I know what my uncle's been saying. I know how this looks to the outside world. But you and me? We know the truth. And the truth is I love you. I love this baby. None of that was manufactured."

Harper felt tears burning. "How do you know? How do either of us know what's real when we've been performing for six months?"

"Because performing doesn't feel like this." Sebastian's voice dropped. "Performing doesn't keep me up at night terrified I'm going to lose you. It doesn't make my chest ache when you're staying here instead of home. It doesn't make me want to burn the whole world down to keep you and our baby safe."

"Sebastian…"

"I found the test and my first thought wasn't about the contract or Marcus or the optics. It was 'we're having a baby' and I've never been so scared and so happy at the same time." His eyes were wet. "My second thought was 'she didn't tell me' and that scared me more than anything. Because if you couldn't tell me about this, what else can't you tell me?"

Harper's tears spilled over. "I was afraid."

"Of me?"

"Of losing you. Of this whole thing being built on sand and one strong wave taking it all away." She pressed a hand to her stomach. "I thought if you knew about the baby, you'd stay out of obligation. And I couldn't stand the idea of you resenting me or resenting this child because we complicated your life."

Sebastian pulled her into his arms, holding her so tight she could feel his heart hammering against her chest. "Listen to me very carefully. I will never resent you. I will never resent our baby. You didn't complicate my life,you gave me one worth living."

They stood there, Harper crying into his shirt while Sebastian held her like she might disappear.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have told you right away."

"You're telling me now. That's what matters." He pulled back enough to see her face. "But Harper, we can't do this. We can't keep secrets from each other, especially not now. Not with Marcus gunning for us and the SEC investigation and everything else."

"I know."

"Do you?" His hands framed her face. "Because I need you to trust me. Really trust me. Not perform trust. Not contractual trust. Real trust."

Harper looked into his eyes and saw fear that matched her own. Fear of abandonment, of betrayal, of losing the fragile thing they'd built. But underneath the fear was something solid and true.

"I trust you," she said. "I'm just learning how."

Sebastian kissed her forehead. "Then we learn together."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Claire's voice: "I hate to break up whatever's happening in there, but we have a problem."

Sebastian opened the door. Claire stood there with her laptop, expression grim.

"Marcus just posted on LinkedIn. He's claiming Sebastian's been embezzling company funds for months and the Adriatic renovation is just the latest example." She turned the screen. "It's already been shared two thousand times."

Harper read Marcus's post, each word landing like a punch:

It pains me to speak publicly about family matters, but my conscience demands it. My nephew Sebastian Colton has systematically diverted Colton Industries resources for personal gain, most recently funneling millions into a hotel renovation project that directly benefits his wife. The SEC investigation will reveal what some of us have known for months: Sebastian has betrayed the trust of our shareholders, our employees, and our family legacy. I call on the board to remove him immediately before further damage is done.

"That's defamation," Sebastian said flatly. "We can sue…"

"By the time we sue, the damage is done." Claire closed the laptop. "The board meeting's in four hours. Half the members have already called asking if it's true. David Rodriguez is wavering. Patricia Chen wants an emergency audit. This is bad, Sebastian."

Harper felt the room spin. The morning sickness combined with panic made her grab the nearest chair.

"Harper?" Sebastian was at her side immediately. "What do you need?"

"I need Marcus Colton to stop destroying our lives." She looked up at him. "Can we prove the money for the renovation came from legitimate sources? That you didn't embezzle anything?"

"Of course. Every transaction is documented. The renovation funding came from a separate account I set up specifically for the Adriatic project, funded entirely with my personal money, not company funds."

"Then we show the board the documentation. We prove Marcus is lying."

"It's not that simple," Claire said quietly. "Marcus is claiming Sebastian created that separate account using his Colton Industries salary and bonuses, which technically comes from the company. He's arguing it's a shell game—moving company money through Sebastian's personal accounts to hide the trail."

"That's insane. That's how salaries work."

"I know. But it sounds convincing to people who want to believe it." Claire looked at her brother. "Marcus has been very careful. He's not making accusations he can't twist into something plausible."

Sebastian's phone rang. His lawyer. He answered, listened, and his face went ashen. "When? How did they…okay. Yes. We'll be there."

He hung up. "The SEC wants to interview me. Today. Before the board meeting."

"Can they do that?" Harper demanded.

"They can request cooperation. And refusing would look like I have something to hide." Sebastian scrubbed a hand over his face. "This is exactly what Marcus wanted. Even if I'm cleared, the investigation itself damages my credibility."

Harper stood, ignoring the nausea. "Then we go on offense. We stop reacting to Marcus and start exposing him."

"How?"

"The video Vanessa sent. Marcus admitting he's manipulating board votes and planning to force a sale of the Adriatic. We release it."

"That's evidence in a potential criminal case," Claire warned. "If we release it publicly…"

"We force Marcus's hand." Harper's mind was racing. "He's been operating in shadows, using proxies and plausible deniability. We drag him into the light. Make him defend his own words."

Sebastian looked at her with something like awe. "You want to leak the video before the board meeting."

"I want to send it to every board member, every major shareholder, and every media outlet that covered our press conference yesterday. I want Marcus to walk into that meeting with everyone knowing exactly what he's been doing."

"It's risky," Claire said. "It could backfire. Make us look desperate."

"We are desperate." Harper met Sebastian's eyes. "But we're also right. And I'm done letting Marcus control the narrative."

Sebastian was quiet for a long moment. Then he pulled out his phone. "Claire, can you compile a media list? Everyone who covered yesterday's conference plus business reporters who've been following the Colton Industries story."

"You're really doing this?"

"We're really doing this." He looked at Harper. "Together."

They released the video at nine AM, two hours before the SEC interview and five hours before the board meeting. The subject line was simple: Marcus Colton In His Own Words.

Harper watched the view count climb. One hundred. Five hundred. Two thousand. Media outlets picked it up within minutes.

BREAKING: Video Shows Marcus Colton Discussing Plan to Manipulate Board Votes

Colton Family Drama Deepens: Recording Reveals Corporate Sabotage Plot

Sebastian's phone started ringing. Board members, investors, reporters. He ignored most of them, but answered when David Rodriguez called.

"I just watched the video," David said, voice tight. "Is it authenticated?"

"We're having it verified by a digital forensics expert. But yes, it's real."

"Marcus is claiming it's a deepfake. That you manufactured it to discredit him."

"Of course he is." Sebastian's voice was grim. "David, I need you to look at the evidence objectively. The recording, the financial documentation, the pattern of behavior. Marcus has been sabotaging me for months. This isn't about family drama,it's about him trying to stage a coup."

A pause. "I'll review everything before the meeting. That's all I can promise."

He hung up.

Harper's phone buzzed. A text from Jessie:Holy shit. You guys just declared war.

She typed back:He declared it first. We're just fighting back.

The SEC interview was brutal. Three hours of questions about finances, the Adriatic renovation, the marriage contract, every decision Sebastian had made in the past year. Harper wasn't allowed in the room, so she paced the hallway with Claire, checking her phone obsessively.

When Sebastian finally emerged, he looked exhausted but steady.

"How bad?" Harper asked.

"They're thorough. But I've got nothing to hide." He checked his watch. "We have an hour before the board meeting. Let's end this."

The Colton Industries boardroom felt like a courtroom. Twelve board members sat around the table, their expressions ranging from concerned to hostile. Marcus sat at the far end, perfectly composed despite the video that had dominated the morning's news cycle.

Harper took a seat in the observer section. She wasn't a board member, but Sebastian had insisted she be there.

Patricia Chen called the meeting to order. "We have several matters to address today, most pressingly the allegations against Sebastian Colton and the counter-allegations against Marcus Colton. I suggest we hear from both parties."

Marcus stood first. "I'd like to address the video that was leaked this morning. It's been taken out of context and edited to make me appear."

"It's a continuous three-minute recording," Sebastian interrupted. "There's no editing."

"You can't prove that without forensic analysis, which conveniently hasn't been completed yet." Marcus's smile was thin. "But I'm not here to debate video authenticity. I'm here because my nephew has been systematically looting this company for personal gain, and someone needs to stop him before he destroys everything our father built."

"Our father built a company through ruthlessness and emotional manipulation," Sebastian said coldly. "I'm building something better."

"By funneling millions into your wife's pet project?"

"By investing my personal money,not company funds,into a legitimate business venture." Sebastian opened his briefcase. "I have documentation showing every dollar that went into the Adriatic renovation came from my personal accounts, funded entirely by my salary, bonuses, and investment returns. Nothing was diverted from company operations."

He slid folders to each board member.

Marcus barely glanced at his copy. "Money you earned as CEO of this company. Money that wouldn't exist without Colton Industries. You've used your position for personal enrichment."

"That's called a salary, Marcus. People generally use their salaries for personal expenses."

Several board members shifted uncomfortably.

David Rodriguez cleared his throat. "The financial documentation appears to support Sebastian's claim. I'm not seeing evidence of embezzlement or improper diversion of company funds."

"Because he's hidden it well," Marcus snapped. "The SEC investigation will reveal."

"The SEC interview concluded an hour ago," Sebastian said. "They found no evidence of wrongdoing. They're closing the preliminary investigation."

The room went silent.

Marcus's composure finally cracked. "That's impossible. They can't have…"

"They can and did. Turns out when you cooperate fully and have nothing to hide, investigations resolve quickly." Sebastian leaned forward. "But let's talk about your behavior, Marcus. The forged permits. The surveillance. The media leaks. The bribery attempt. Should I play the recording of you offering my wife two million dollars to lie?"

"You have no right…"

"I have every right to defend myself against your vendetta." Sebastian's voice was steel. "This isn't about the company. It's about you resenting that I got the CEO position you thought you deserved. It's about punishing me for existing."

Marcus stood abruptly. "The board needs to decide: do you want a leader who follows his heart into reckless decisions, or do you want stability and experience?"

"We want integrity," Patricia said quietly. "Which is why I'm calling for a vote. All in favor of removing Marcus Colton from the board pending investigation into his conduct?"

Harper held her breath.

Nine hands rose.

Marcus stared at the raised hands, face going white. "You're making a mistake."

"No," Sebastian said. "We're correcting one."

Security escorted Marcus from the room. He didn't fight, but the look he gave Sebastian promised this wasn't over.

When the door closed, Harper felt something release in her chest. It wasn't over.Marcus would lawyer up, probably countersue, maybe leak more stories,but they'd won the battle that mattered.

Sebastian found her in the hallway after the meeting concluded.

"We did it," he said, pulling her close.

"You did it."

"No. We." He kissed her. "I couldn't have fought him without you."

Harper leaned into him, exhausted and relieved and still terrified of what came next.

Her phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:

Congratulations on your victory. But you should know.Marcus isn't done. And neither am I. V

Harper showed Sebastian the message. His expression darkened.

"Vanessa. What does she want now?"

Before Harper could answer, another text arrived. This time with a photo attachment.

It was Marcus, meeting with a man Harper didn't recognize. The timestamp showed yesterday.

Vanessa's message: Marcus hired a private investigator. He's looking into your past. Both of you. Thought you should know.

Harper felt ice slide down her spine. Her past wasn't scandalous, but it wasn't perfect either. And if Marcus was desperate enough to dig for dirt.

"We need to talk," she said to Sebastian. "There are things about my life before the Adriatic that I haven't told you."

Sebastian looked at her, and Harper saw the question forming: What else haven't you told me?