He Pretended to Lose His Entire Billion-Dollar Empire to Test His Fiancée’s Loyalty, But When He Tracked Her Secret Wire Transfer, He Discovered the Heartbreaking Truth Behind Her Disappearance

Adrian stopped dead in his tracks. The words echoed in his skull like a clanging bell: If he knows what I did, his pride will destroy him.

Before he could process the sentence, Olivia hailed a passing taxi, climbed into the back, and disappeared into the gridlock of the city. Adrian stood motionless under the Chicago drizzle, his clothes soaking through, utterly bewildered.

Instead of returning to the Lincoln Park apartment, Adrian headed directly toward the north side to Daniel’s private townhouse. He hammered on the door until Daniel opened it, looking exasperated with an unbuttoned collar.

""Did you stalk her?"" Daniel asked flatly, stepping aside to let Adrian inside.

""She liquidated her entire firm, Daniel,"" Adrian said breathlessly, pacing the hardwood living room. ""She emptied her personal savings, signed away her design studio’s equity to an outfit called Aegis Holdings, and cried on the street saying that my pride would destroy me if I found out.""

Daniel paused, pouring two glasses of scotch and handing one to his friend. ""And your immediate conclusion is still that she’s betraying you?""

""Why Aegis Holdings?"" Adrian demanded, ignoring the drink. ""Aegis is an aggressive corporate vulture fund. They buy distressed debt for pennies on the dollar and squeeze borrowers dry! Two years ago, Aegis tried to short Cole Development’s retail portfolio during our bond expansion! Why would Olivia be wiring money to the exact firm that tried to tear my father’s legacy apart?""

Daniel’s brow furrowed. ""That doesn't make any sense. Olivia doesn't even understand complex corporate finance. She designs high-end residential interiors. How would she even know who Aegis Holdings is?""

""Because someone approached her,"" Adrian hissed, paranoia taking complete control of his faculties. ""What if someone inside Aegis knew about my supposed collapse? What if someone told her that Cole Development was going under, and offered her an exit buyout? Or worse... what if she’s working with them?""

""Now you sound utterly insane,"" Daniel said sharply, grabbing Adrian by the shoulder. ""Listen to yourself! You fabricated a catastrophic financial disaster to test a girl who loves you, and now you’re spinning wild conspiracy theories because she’s behaving erratically! Go back to that miserable apartment, sit down with your fiancée, and tell her the truth before you burn your entire life to the ground.""

""Not yet,"" Adrian said, his jaw setting like concrete. ""The wire clears at midnight. I own the backdoor intelligence channels to Aegis’s clearing bank in Delaware. I’m going to run the routing destination tonight. If she’s protecting herself or plotting against me, I will see the ultimate beneficiary of that fund.""