Chapter 13 - The Clock on the Shelf
The clock had been removed by investigators before we opened the recording.
Inside its hollow backing was a concealed camera module that had transmitted footage through the office network.
I felt invaded in a way that had nothing to do with money.
That room was where I had grieved after doctor's appointments, met employees who needed support, and struggled to keep my company alive during a difficult year.
Someone had watched those private moments and cataloged them as useful material.
The recordings showed Arthur entering my office repeatedly after hours.
Sometimes he read documents on my desk.
Sometimes he photographed account statements.
On one occasion Nathan entered with him and instructed him where to place the clock.
Arthur protested that I would notice.
Nathan told him I trusted him too much to look closely.
The clip was devastating because it answered a question Arthur had tried to avoid.
Even if he had not understood every part of Nathan's scheme, he had knowingly helped invade my privacy.
Mara made sure the recording was secured and referred to the appropriate authorities.
I did not watch more than was necessary.
Arthur's attorney requested an opportunity for him to make a voluntary statement.
In that interview, Arthur admitted installing the clock and sharing documents, claiming Nathan had told him they were gathering material for a confidential business valuation.
He also admitted hiding his relationship with Brooke while continuing to use company funds for personal expenses.
The statement did not erase the misconduct.
It established a clearer record.
When I learned what he had said, I expected triumph.
Instead I felt exhaustion.
The truth was arriving piece by piece, each piece heavier than the last.
Then the investigators located the draft of a letter Nathan had prepared for the press.
It portrayed me as unstable and resentful after infertility treatment.
It included quotations from my private office recordings, rearranged to imply that I could not be trusted to run the firm.
The planned publication date was two days after Arthur signed the divorce papers.
The press campaign had been canceled only because the attempted transfer was blocked.
I could finally see the architecture of the attack.
The affair distracted me.
The babies destroyed my confidence.
The divorce set up an asset dispute.
The forged evidence threatened my credibility.
And the wire transfer was supposed to disappear before I recovered enough to ask questions.
Mara put a hand on my shoulder.
"They planned for you to lose control."
I looked at the still image of Nathan adjusting the clock.
"Then they miscalculated."
A new evidence alert appeared on Priya's screen.
The offshore distribution list included a recipient who had not appeared in any previous transaction.
It was an account controlled by Brooke's attorney's former business partner.
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And it had received a large payment on the morning the twins were born.
