Chapter 6 - The Mistress Was Only the First Piece
Victor Lin walked into headquarters the next morning wearing a smile.
That told me everything.
Innocent men arrive confused.
Guilty men arrive prepared.
“Congratulations, niece.”
He opened his arms.
I remained seated.
He slowly lowered them.
“Not happy to see family?”
“Depends on the family.”
His smile widened.
“You sound like your father.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Victor sat without being invited.
“I heard yesterday was eventful.”
Of course he had.
Jang had been suspended pending investigation, but not arrested.
Yet.
Our attorneys wanted evidence preserved before making criminal referrals.
Victor leaned back.
“Marriage trouble can be distracting.”
I looked at him.
“Are you worried I’m distracted?”
“I’m worried about the company.”
“You haven’t worried about this company since the board removed you.”
His eyes cooled.
“There are shareholders who believe your appointment was rushed.”
“Name them.”
He smiled.
“You’ll meet them soon enough.”
There it was.
A threat dressed as information.
I folded my hands.
“Did Jang tell you about the watch?”
For the first time, his smile flickered.
Small.
But enough.
“You know Jang?”
“I know many people.”
“Do you know White Orchid Advisory?”
Silence.
Then he laughed.
“You’ve been CEO for one day and already you’re playing detective.”
“Do you know it?”
“I’ve heard the name.”
“Five million dollars says you’ve heard more than the name.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“You should be careful.”
“Why?”
“You inherited your father’s stubbornness.”
“And?”
“He thought he was untouchable too.”
The room went cold.
“My father died of a heart attack.”
Victor smiled.
“I know.”
Then he stood.
“I’ll see you at the emergency shareholder meeting.”
“What emergency shareholder meeting?”
His smile returned.
“The one happening tomorrow.”
After he left, Daniel entered.
“He filed the request twenty minutes ago.”
“On what grounds?”
“Executive misconduct, concealed assets, improper transfers, and failure of corporate oversight.”
I almost laughed.
“He created the crime and wants to blame me for discovering it.”
“Pretty much.”
“How many votes?”
“Potentially enough to force a temporary suspension.”
I looked toward the window.
Victor had planned this.
Jang’s arrogance yesterday had simply accelerated the schedule.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
Jang’s voice came through.
“You shouldn’t have fired me.”
“You shouldn’t have stolen.”
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“Then come explain the transfers.”
She laughed.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Explain it.”
“Your husband was supposed to keep you away from headquarters.”
My grip tightened.
“What?”
“He promised you would never come back.”
I looked toward the glass wall.
Shiaoza was approaching my office.
“Why?”
“Because the moment you returned, you would start asking questions.”
He entered.
I raised one hand, stopping him.
Jang continued.
“Victor needed another six months.”
“For what?”
“To finish buying the votes.”
My blood went cold.
“What votes?”
“The shareholder votes.”
She laughed softly.
“Your uncle doesn’t want your job.”
A pause.
“He wants the whole company.”
The line disconnected.
I looked at Shiaoza.
“Did you promise Jang I wouldn’t return?”
His face answered before his mouth did.
“Yes.”
I stood.
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You really need a new phrase.”
“Victor threatened you.”
“With what?”
“He said if you returned, he would expose Northstar and accuse you of hiding estate assets.”
“So you kept me ignorant.”
“Yes.”
“And slept with the woman blackmailing you.”
His face twisted.
“I made every wrong choice possible.”
“At least we agree.”
He placed a flash drive on my desk.
“What is that?”
“Everything.”
“Everything what?”
“Every message between me and Jang. Every payment she demanded. Every threat Victor sent through intermediaries.”
I stared at it.
“Why give it to me now?”
“Because you were right.”
“About?”
“I kept telling myself I was protecting you.”
He looked at the wedding ring still absent from my hand.
“But really, I was protecting myself from admitting what I’d become.”
I took the drive.
“This won’t save our marriage.”
“I know.”
“This may send you to prison.”
“I know.”
“Why do it?”
He looked at me.
“Because yesterday you asked which one of you I would choose.”
His voice broke.
“I chose wrong.”
Then he walked out.
I inserted the drive.
Inside were hundreds of files.
Texts.
Emails.
Bank records.
Voice recordings.
And one video.
Recorded three weeks earlier.
Jang sat across from Victor in a private restaurant.
Her voice was perfectly clear.
“Once she becomes CEO, we have a problem.”
Victor smiled.
“Then make sure she doesn’t remain CEO.”
Jang asked, “And Shiao?”
Victor lifted his wineglass.
“When this is finished, he takes the fall.”
I froze.
Shiaoza had betrayed me.
But Jang had been planning to betray him too.
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And tomorrow, Victor expected to walk into the shareholder meeting and destroy us both.
He had no idea I now had the video.
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