Chapter 6 - A Cold Cup of Reality
When the two plainclothes detectives stepped into the boardroom, Madison Pierce didn't even have the energy left to scream. She sat slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the floor as the female officer methodically emptied the contents of her purse onto the table: the encrypted flash drive, two company credit cards, and a forged parking pass meant for executive officers.
""Madison Pierce,"" Detective Miller said, pulling out a pair of steel handcuffs. ""You're under arrest for grand larceny, computer tampering, and corporate espionage. You have the right to remain silent...""
As the cold metal clicked around Madison’s wrists, she looked up at Emma one last time. There was no defiance left, no venom, only the hollow gaze of someone realizing that the golden life she had fabricated out of lies had vanished forever.
""I’m sorry,"" Madison whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air vents.
Emma didn't offer a dramatic speech. She didn't gloat. She simply looked at her with quiet, unyielding dignity. ""No, you aren't. You're sorry you brushed against the wrong woman in an elevator lobby. Learn the difference, Madison. It might serve you well wherever you end up next.""
The detectives guided Madison out of the room, her designer heels dragging awkwardly against the carpet. The boardroom doors closed behind them, leaving the executive team in stunned silence.
Marcus Vance let out a long, ragged exhale. ""Good lord. In three weeks, that woman almost burned this firm to the ground.""
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""She didn't burn anything,"" Grant said, standing up and wrapping his arm securely around Emma’s waist. He pressed a kiss against the side of her temple, completely indifferent to the fact that his top executives were watching. ""Because my wife has an uncanny habit of showing up exactly when things are about to fall apart.""
""Speaking of which,"" Emma said, turning in his embrace and tapping his chest lightly with one manicured finger, ""you owe me a lunch. And don't you dare think a deli sandwich from downstairs is going to cover this. I just saved your contract and fired your fake wife.""
