Chapter 2 - The Ten O’Clock Pulse
Inside the warehouse, the party was reaching its peak. Through the high glass windows, I could see shadows moving to the rhythm of the music. Waiters in crisp black vests circulated with trays of champagne, and laughter drifted out through the cracks in the double doors. Brianna, dressed in her arrogant green gown that screamed cheap envy, was probably sitting in my place right now, whispering something snarky into Andre’s ear about how easily I had surrendered the field.
I settled into the passenger seat of my car, plugged my phone into the dash charger, and brought up the corporate finance app. My lawyer, Marcus, had warned me months ago when I first discovered the secret bank accounts and the hotel bills: “Protect your assets first, Dany. Let him make his move, but make sure you control the board when he does.”
I hadn’t rushed. I had watched Andre smuggle Brianna into local restaurants, watched him text her under the dinner table, and watched him grow increasingly comfortable with his double life. He thought he was slick. He thought because I didn’t scream or throw plates, I was blind.
At exactly ten o'clock, my phone pinged with a notification from the primary event staging system: “Pending final payment authorization for Grand Event Services. Total: $18,500. Release funds?”
Below that were the separate prompts for the open bar, the premium catering staff, and the late-night valet service.
My fingers hovered over the screen. I did not hesitate. With a single tap, I hit the global command button: Revoke Authorization and Cancel All Active Vendor Contracts.
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Instantly, the status lights on the dashboard shifted from green to a stark, warning red. Across the city, in real-time, the payment tokens expired. The credit card authorizations were flagged as declined due to security lockouts on the primary enterprise account.
I leaned back against the headrest, crossed my arms, and watched the warehouse entrance through the windshield, waiting for the dominos to fall.
