CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE - A Last-Minute Decision

The building was a sleek, modern affair, all glass and steel. Claire buzzed the intercom, her voice steady despite her nerves. "Veronica, it's Claire Langford. We need to talk." There was a long pause before the door buzzed open. Claire took the elevator to the penthouse, her resolve strengthening with each floor. When the doors opened, Veronica was waiting, wrapped in a silk robe and looking infuriatingly composed. "Claire, darling," she purred. "To what do I owe this late-night visit?" Claire stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "Cut the act, Veronica. I know what you've been doing. The financial scandal, the rumors about Mason – it was all you, wasn't it?" Veronica's smile didn't falter, but something cold flickered in her eyes. "My, my. Aren't we jumping to conclusions? Do you have any proof of these wild accusations?" "As a matter of fact, I do," Claire retorted, pulling out a file from her bag. "It's all here – the shell companies, the offshore accounts, the connections to for