Chapter 5 - The Snake in the Garden
Three weeks passed in a blur of bourbon, blackout curtains, and unrelenting torment. I had abandoned Vance Medical Innovations entirely, leaving the board of directors in chaos. I hadn't shaved, my clothes hung loosely from my frame, and the Upper East Side townhouse smelled of stale scotch and suffocating despair.
The heavy front door clicked open on a Tuesday evening. I looked up from the leather sofa, expecting Margaret—who only came by to feed the cat and leave groceries in icy silence—but instead, a cloud of expensive French perfume drifted into the room.
Elena Courtland walked in, wearing an ivory cashmere coat and carrying a designer leather tote. Her golden hair was perfectly coiffed, her lips painted a tasteful crimson. She looked at the scattered bottles and the shadows under my eyes with an expression of tender, practiced concern.
""Damen, darling,"" she said softly, stepping over an empty crystal tumbler and kneeling beside me. ""Look at what you're doing to yourself. I’ve called you fifty times. The board is threatening an emergency vote of no confidence. Julian Miller is trying to seize your voting proxy.""
I stared at her, the fog in my alcohol-soaked brain suddenly clearing into sharp, agonizing focus. ""How did you get in here, Elena?""
""Margaret left the side gate unlatched,"" she said smoothly, reaching out to stroke my stubbled jaw. I flinched away from her touch as if she were a viper. Her hand froze in mid-air, a flash of irritation breaking through her sweet facade before she smoothed it over. ""Damen, you have to let this go. What happened to Meline's pregnancy was a tragic medical anomaly. You cannot blame yourself. And frankly, her demanding a divorce and trying to smear your reputation is completely unhinged. You need to protect your assets before she hires a shark attorney to take half of Vance Medical.""
""A tragic anomaly?"" I repeated, my voice raspy and dead. ""You called me screaming that you were bleeding to death. You said the doctors told you your life was in danger.""
Elena sighed, adjusting her coat. ""I was terrified, Damen! I had spotting, and I panicked. Can you blame a woman for wanting the man she loves by her side when she's scared? It's not my fault Meline chose that exact night to be dramatic. She was always clinging to you, trying to hold back your career. Now that she's walked away, it's a blessing in disguise. We can finally be open. My father's investment firm is ready to back your new diagnostic division. We can build an empire together.""
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As she spoke, her handbag shifted on the glass coffee table. Her phone screen lit up with a text message banner. Instinctively, my eyes darted to the screen:
Julian Miller: ""Did you convince Vance to step down yet? The proxy documents are drafted. If he signs today, your 15% finder's fee clears Friday.""
