"Since everyone's here, I'll cut right to the chase." She swept her gaze across the boardroom. "From now on, this company belongs to me, not the Gilberts. This is a stock transfer contract, signed by Nathaniel Gilbert himself."
She slapped the document down in front of the shareholders and motioned for the lawyer she'd brought along to make the case.
The atmosphere turned suffocating. The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances, then picked up the contract and began reading.
I sat in my chair, watching Morris with a calm I didn't feel. Beneath the surface, a storm was raging.
"When did I ever sign a stock transfer contract?" I scoffed. "That's complete nonsense."
But the contract with my signature on it was real.
The shareholders had already seen it. I snatched it from the nearest one and looked for myself.
Valerie caught the shift in my composure and let out a mocking laugh. "See it now? That's your handwriting, isn't it?"
"Valerie, explain yourself. When did I sign this?"
She pulled out the chair in front of me, dropped into it with open contempt, and met my eyes.
"Three months ago. The night before you rushed off on that business trip. I got you drunk, and afterward, while we were in bed, I slipped it in front of you. You thought it was some contract for a car or a house. Didn't even bother to read it before you signed." A cruel smile curled her lips. "That's how much you trusted me."
She was right. I had trusted her without reservation. And all it earned me was betrayal.
So that was how I'd signed the stock transfer contract. No wonder Morris had the nerve to turn on me. He didn't think he needed to answer to me anymore. As far as he was concerned, the company was Valerie's now, and she called the shots.
My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand until my knuckles went white, then purple.
"Valerie, you're ruthless. I must have been blind to ever trust you the way I did."
She rose from the chair, satisfaction written all over her face, and walked over to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a patronizing pat. "Well, that's just your bad luck. Who told you to be so good to me? Who told you to catch feelings?"
Morris, sensing blood in the water, dropped any pretense of respect.
"Nathaniel! From now on, I'm the one stepping on you." He threw his head back and laughed. "You have no idea how many years I've been waiting for this day."