Skip to content 
The dining-room doors opened.
Evelyn Shaw entered with two men in dark suits.
Daniel stopped.
Evelyn placed a document before him.
“Mr. Mercer, effective six eighteen this evening, your employment has been terminated for cause.”
He stared at her.
“Who are they?”
“Independent investigators retained by the board.”
Vanessa wrapped both arms around her stomach.
Daniel looked from them to me.
“This is because I cheated?”
I almost laughed.
“No. Cheating made me stop protecting you.”
That landed.
For years, I had corrected his accounting mistakes, renegotiated reckless contracts, and hidden his incompetence from the board.
The affair hadn’t destroyed his career.
It had simply removed the person holding it together.
Evelyn opened another folder.
“We also identified approximately $3.4 million in unauthorized payments.”
Daniel went pale.
Vanessa whispered, “You said those transfers were legal.”
Margaret turned sharply.
“You knew?”
Vanessa backed away.
“I—I thought they were bonuses.”
I looked at her.
“One payment went into an account in your name.”
She stopped breathing.
Daniel pointed at me.
“She had nothing to do with that.”
Evelyn’s voice stayed flat.
“That will be determined by investigators.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
Nobody was smiling now.
Daniel looked back at the divorce agreement, desperate.
“At least I get the settlement.”
“Yes,” I said.
Relief flickered in his eyes.
“Two hundred thousand.”
I nodded.
“Minus any amounts recoverable through the fraud proceedings.”
His relief vanished.
I stood.
Daniel’s voice cracked behind me.
“Claire, wait.”
I turned.
NEXT PAGE