CHAPTER 4:The Woman Who Thought She Had Already Won
By nine o'clock that morning, every major financial news network was talking about only one company.
Calloway Group.
The headlines grew darker with every passing minute.
CALLAWAY STOCK HALTED.
MAJOR LENDERS DEMAND REVIEW.
MULTIPLE ACQUISITIONS SUSPENDED.
No one knew why.
Rumors spread faster than facts.
Inside the executive boardroom, Nathan refused to panic.
"There has to be an explanation."
"There is."
Michael Ross, the CFO, rubbed his temples.
"We just haven't found it yet."
Nathan stood before the wall of monitors.
"This company survived recessions."
"It survived lawsuits."
"It survived the pandemic."
"We're not collapsing because a few banks are nervous."
Before anyone could answer, the conference room door opened.
His assistant rushed inside.
"Mr. Calloway..."
"The chairman of EastBridge Bank is here."
Nathan frowned.
"He didn't have an appointment."
"He insisted."
"Send him in."
A gray-haired man entered, accompanied by two lawyers.
Nathan immediately extended his hand.
"Richard, good to see you."
Richard didn't shake it.
"I'm afraid this isn't a social visit."
He placed a thick folder on the table.
"Our board has voted unanimously."
Nathan's smile slowly disappeared.
"Voted on what?"
Richard pushed the folder toward him.
"Effective immediately..."
"Every outstanding loan issued to Calloway Group is under formal review."
Nathan stared at him.
"You're joking."
"I wish I were."
"We've worked together for fifteen years."
"Exactly."
Richard sighed.
"That's why I came personally."
Nathan's voice hardened.
"What changed?"
Richard hesitated.
Then answered carefully.
"The institution standing behind your financing..."
"...has withdrawn its confidence."
The room became silent.
Nathan looked around the table.
"Who?"
Richard slowly shook his head.
"I can't disclose that."
"But I strongly suggest you find out."
He turned and walked away.
Without another word.
Nathan slammed the folder shut.
"What the hell is happening?"
No one answered.
Across town...
Celeste Monroe smiled as she entered an exclusive bridal boutique.
Three saleswomen rushed to greet her.
"Good morning, Ms. Monroe."
She smiled proudly.
"I'd like to reserve your private fitting room."
"Of course."
One of them glanced at the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
"Congratulations."
"We heard Mr. Calloway's marriage is ending."
Celeste smiled wider.
"It practically already has."
She admired herself in the mirror.
Soon...
She would become Mrs. Calloway.
The wife everyone believed Nathan deserved.
Beautiful.
Sophisticated.
Accepted by high society.
No more pretending to be the secret girlfriend.
No more waiting.
Her phone buzzed.
Nathan.
She answered immediately.
"Sweetheart."
His voice sounded distracted.
"I'm busy."
She laughed softly.
"So am I."
"I'm looking at wedding dresses."
There was a long silence.
Finally...
Nathan spoke.
"This isn't the time."
She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The company's dealing with something."
"Handle it."
"It always works out."
Nathan didn't respond.
Instead, he quietly asked,
"Did Aurora ever mention Ashford Capital?"
Celeste blinked.
"What?"
"Ashford Capital."
"No."
"Why?"
Nathan looked toward the conference room window.
"I keep hearing the name today."
"It feels familiar."
Celeste laughed.
"You're overthinking."
"Aurora couldn't possibly know people like that."
Nathan wanted to believe her.
So he did.
Meanwhile...
Julian walked into my office carrying another report.
"Phase Two exceeded expectations."
I looked up.
"How bad?"
He placed the documents on my desk.
"Six international banks."
"Three investment funds."
"Two insurance partners."
"All suspended cooperation."
"And?"
Julian smiled slightly.
"They're still trying to figure out who gave the order."
I closed the report.
"They won't."
"Not yet."
Another knock interrupted us.
Henry entered carrying an old leather notebook.
"I thought you might want this."
I immediately recognized it.
My notebook.
From five years ago.
The first months after marrying Nathan.
I slowly opened it.
Page after page contained handwritten notes.
Business strategies.
Cash flow ideas.
Expansion plans.
International partnerships.
Every idea...
Eventually became a success for Calloway Group.
Every one of them.
Nathan had presented those ideas to shareholders as his own.
I had never cared.
Back then.
Henry quietly watched me.
"Do you regret helping him?"
I thought for a long moment.
"No."
"I regret believing love didn't require honesty."
Henry nodded.
"Sometimes hiding your strength doesn't protect a relationship."
"It only teaches people to underestimate you."
Julian's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then looked directly at me.
"We've confirmed it."
"What?"
"The missing sapphire brooch."
My eyes narrowed.
"The police recovered it."
"Where?"
Julian placed a photograph on my desk.
Inside a hidden compartment...
Of Vivian Calloway's own jewelry case.
Exactly where Celeste had hidden it.
I smiled.
"So they know I'm innocent."
Julian nodded.
"They do."
"But..."
He paused.
"They haven't called to apologize."
I wasn't surprised.
People like Vivian never apologized.
They simply searched for another lie.
At almost the same moment...
Nathan arrived home.
The mansion felt strangely empty.
No fresh flowers decorated the dining room.
No breakfast waited on the table.
No quiet piano music drifted through the halls.
Things he had never noticed...
Until they disappeared.
Vivian walked downstairs.
"You're home early."
Nathan nodded absently.
"Have the police called?"
"They found the brooch."
Relief crossed Vivian's face.
"I knew they'd prove Aurora stole it."
Nathan looked at her.
"They found it..."
"...inside your own jewelry box."
Vivian froze.
"What?"
Nathan handed her the police report.
Her expression changed.
"They're wrong."
"The officers searched it twice."
"It wasn't there."
Nathan stared at his mother.
"Then how did it get there?"
Neither of them spoke.
For the first time...
A tiny crack appeared in the story everyone had believed the night before.
Nathan slowly remembered Aurora's face.
She never cried.
She never begged.
She only smiled.
Then she walked away.
His phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown sender.
Only one sentence.
"Some lies destroy marriages. Others destroy empires."
No number.
No signature.
Nathan looked toward the enormous front doors.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He suddenly wished Aurora had never walked through them.
Because deep inside...
A question had begun to haunt him.
May you like
What if...
She really hadn't been the one who lost everything that night?
