Chapter 73 Damien's Deal
Vivienne's Pov
"I have copies of everything," Damien said. "Account statements, transfer authorizations, incorporation documents for the shell companies he used. All of it."
"And you'll provide these documents?"
"As soon as Vivienne signs an agreement giving me the right of first refusal on her stock."
Monica shook her head. "That's not how this works. You provide the documents first, we verify their authenticity, and then we discuss any potential agreements."
"And give you the chance to use my information and then cut me out?" Damien smiled. "I don't think so. I know how lawyers work, Ms. Monica."
They stared at each other across the table. A standoff.
I looked at Damien, this man who had tried to have my husband killed, who was now offering to help me destroy him financially, and tried to figure out what the right move was.
Eight million dollars in hidden offshore accounts. If it was real, it was huge. Proof of fraud. Proof that Marcus had been hiding assets from the beginning. Proof that his "generous" settlement offers were based on deliberately incomplete financial disclosures.
But could I trust Richard? Could I make a deal with someone who had literally committed attempted murder?
The enemy of my enemy might not be my friend.
But right now, he might be my best weapon.
I looked at Damien Moreau sitting across from me, his cold calculating eyes, his confident smile, his carefully constructed offer that was really just another manipulation.
Three years ago I made a deal with a Moreau family member. I had trusted Raphael when he promised me a fair settlement after three years. I had believed him when he said this was a simple business arrangement that would benefit both of us.
And look where that got me.
"No," I said.
Damien's smile faltered slightly. "No?"
"No," I repeated, more firmly this time. "I'm not making deals with you. I'm not giving you the right of first refusal on stock I don't even have yet. I'm not trading one Moreau family manipulation for another."
"Vivienne—" Damien started.
"Mrs. Moreau," Monica corrected sharply, and I felt a surge of gratitude for her.
"Vivienne," Damien said smoothly, adjusting without missing a beat. "You're making a mistake. That information about the offshore accounts could be worth tens of millions to you in your settlement."
"Maybe," I said. "Or maybe it's fake. Maybe it's bait to get me to sign away rights to stock that could be worth even more.
Maybe you're working with Raphael and this whole meeting is designed to trap me somehow. I don't know and I don't care because I'm done making deals with the Raphael family."
I stood up. Monica stood with me immediately, grabbing her briefcase.
"If you actually have evidence of illegal offshore accounts," Monica said calmly, "you can provide it to the IRS. They have whistleblower programs that would compensate you. You don't need us."
"But the IRS won't give me access to Moreau Industries stock," Damien said, his voice harder now, the polite veneer cracking slightly. "That's what I really want. Not the money from the accounts. The stock. The voting rights. A way back into my family's company."
"Then you should have thought about that before you tried to have your cousin murdered," I said.
His face went cold. All pretense of friendliness disappeared.
"You're being naive," he said. "Raphael is going to bury you in legal proceedings. He has unlimited resources and the best lawyers money can buy.
You think your bargain basement attorney and your little group of office allies are going to be enough? You need every weapon you can get."
"Yeah," I said. "But I don't need weapons that come with strings attached to people I can't trust."
"You're going to regret this."
"I know," I nodded. "But at least I'll regret it on my own terms."
Monica and I walked out of the coffee shop together, not looking back. My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking slightly but I kept my head up and my pace steady until we were outside on the sidewalk.
"That was either very brave or very stupid," Monica said once we were a safe distance away.
"I'm not sure which," I admitted.
"He might have been telling the truth about the accounts."
"He might have been. But the price was too high. And even if the accounts are real, we can find them in other ways, right? Forensic accountants, subpoenas, financial discovery?"
Monica nodded slowly. "Yes. It's harder without insider information, but yes. If Rapheal has hidden accounts, a good forensic accountant can usually find traces of them. Unexplained transfers, gaps in reported income, that kind of thing."
"Then that's what we do. We do this the right way. No shortcuts, no deals with people who've proven they can't be trusted. And if things don't go as planned, if Rapheal wants to frustrate everything then I'll let him have it.”
We walked back to Monica's car in silence. I pulled out my phone and texted Sarah.
"Meeting over. I'm fine. Damien wanted to make a deal. I said no. Tell you everything later."
Her response came immediately.
"THANK GOD. I've been staring at your location for the last thirty minutes, I was convinced you were being murdered. Come home. I'm making comfort food."
I smiled despite everything.
Monica dropped me off at Sarah's apartment building an hour later.
"You did the right thing," she said as I got out of the car. "I know it doesn't feel like it right now. I know it feels like you just turned down valuable information. But Damien Moreau is dangerous and unpredictable. Whatever he was offering, the cost would have been higher than you realized."
"I hope you're right," I said.
"Trust the process," Monica said. "We have a strong case even without his information. The prenup fraud, the wrongful termination, the witness testimony from your former colleagues, the evidence Rebecca saved. We're in a good position."
"And if Damien was telling the truth? If there really are offshore accounts with millions of dollars that we can't find?"
Monica's expression was serious. "Then Damien gets away with hiding that money. But Vivienne, he's already hiding things. He's already been dishonest. One more hidden account doesn't change the fundamental truth of your situation.
You were married to a man who manipulated you from the beginning. The question isn't whether you can find every single penny he's hidden. The question is whether you can prove you deserve your fair share of the assets we can document. And the answer to that question is yes."
I nodded, trying to let her words sink in, trying to believe them.
After Monica drove away, I stood outside Sarah's building for a moment, just breathing. Thinking about the choice I had just made. Thinking about Damien’s cold eyes and his calculated offer and the path I had refused to walk down.
Three years ago, I made a deal with Moreau. I married Raphael to solve both of our problems—his need for a wife to claim his inheritance, my need for money and where to hide away from Margot and Shylen.
But that deal had been built on lies. On manipulation. On Rapheal's careful planning to protect himself while leaving me vulnerable.
I wasn't going to make that mistake again.
Whatever happened with this divorce, however it ended, I was going to do it the right way. With honesty. With evidence. With the truth on my side instead of schemes and manipulation.
Even if it meant walking away from information thatc ould have helped me.
Even if it meant taking the harder path.
I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Monica.