Chapter 11

The news broke like a storm over the city, headlines screaming from every screen and paper: Corporate Theft Uncovered Selena Hart Arrested. Ryan sat in his office, the chaos of the past weeks distilled into a single grainy photo of Selena in handcuffs, her face twisted in defiance. The evidence had unraveled fast, company secrets leaked, funds siphoned into offshore accounts, all traced back to her. She’d played him, used his trust to gut his empire while he’d been distracted by her tears and Rose’s fevers. Now, she was caught, nabbed at the airport trying to flee with the last of her stolen gains. He watched the footage on his laptop, her voice shrill as she shouted at the cameras. “It’s Ryan’s fault!” “He drove me to this.” “If I can’t have him, I’ll destroy him!” The words were venom, but they rang hollow against the truth piling up documents, emails, a trail of greed she couldn’t erase. The company was reeling, stock plummeting, but the board was rallying, damage control