Chapter 3 - Public Exposure
The next morning, the financial world woke up to a scandal of unprecedented proportions.
Vanessa Hale stood before a packed press conference at the Cross Capital headquarters, projecting an image of absolute control. "The rumors circulating on social media are entirely unfounded," Vanessa announced into the sea of microphones. "Mrs. Isabella Montrose has no operational control over Cross Capital. This is a private, marital dispute that is being handled by our legal counsel. Mr. Damian Cross remains—"
Ding.
A synchronized chime echoed through the press room. Every journalist looked down at their phones.
A massive leak had just hit the wire.
It wasn't a gossip column. It was a forensic audit.
The leaked documents—released anonymously but timed to perfection—detailed the last four major acquisitions of Cross Capital. It showed, in brutal, mathematical detail, that Damian Cross had made catastrophic errors in valuation that would have bankrupted the company three times over. Next to his failed spreadsheets were the brilliant, elegant restructuring solutions signed by Isabella Montrose.
But the real killer was the audio file attached to the leak.
It was a recording from the previous night. Damian’s voice, clear and desperate, pleading with Isabella: “Just sign the merger, Isabella! The board doesn't need to know about the Singapore deficit. I'll give you whatever you want under the table, just keep your mouth shut so the stock doesn't crash!”
The press conference erupted into madness. Journalists began shouting questions at Vanessa, who stood frozen, her face pale as she realized she had just publicly lied to protect a sinking ship.
Behind the stage, Damian watched the broadcast on a monitor. He punched the wall, his knuckles bleeding. "Find out who leaked that! Find them and ruin them!"
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"It doesn't matter who leaked it, Damian," Evelyn said, walking into his office, her voice trembling with rare panic. "The banks are pulling our credit lines. The board is calling for an emergency vote of no confidence. And the SEC has just opened an inquiry into your Singapore filings."
She grabbed her son by the lapels of his suit. "She’s stripping us alive."
