“His son….” She repeated over again maybe it would eventually make sense to her.

Her hands gripped her steering wheel so tight her knuckled turned white, as the rain beat down like drums. It was perfect, the roaring thunder was how she was brewing inside.

She wished she could explode.

Eventually she swerved into the underground parking lot of her company. Her wipers were too slow to clear the storm off the windshield, as she killed the engine and sat in silence.

Her coat clung to her body, while her hair dripped past her shoulders. She hadn’t even noticed when she left the house, barely remembered the rain pouring like the tears she felt burning behind her eyes.

As she pushed her door open, she caught sight of a figure standing just by the side of the parking lot, under the flickering light. Her brows furrowed, but she shut the car door and she walked toward it.

“Mr. Darrel?” She called confusedly.

His head snapped up, he clutched a thick brown envelope to his chest, and water ran down his temples.

“Elena,” He said with a soft smile,

She frowned. “I thought we’d meet inside.”

“I couldn’t risk the office,” he said flatly. “Not with what I’m about to tell you.”

Her pulse spiked, “What’s going on?”

He handed her the envelope,

“This is the original signed version of your father’s last will and testament,” He started. “it says you, Elena Cruz, as the sole inheritor of Cruz enterprises with 100% shares.”

She stared at the page, it wasn’t news to her. she knew, this document was just a confirmation of her old knowledge, so what exactly was different?

“But,” he continued, “Two weeks after your father’s funeral, this document was legally changed.”

He held up another form. “Here, a transfer or ownership signed with your name, which was notarized and witnessed.”

Elena’s brows furrowed, her heart thudded as she saw the signature. It was perfect, it was hers except,

“I never signed that.”

“I know,” He said, “But it passed verification because your signature was replicated perfectly.

Her breathing got shallow, she started shaking her head in disbelief as she flipped through the pages repeatedly.

“Who forged it?”

He hesitated. “We’re still investigating. But all digital records of the original will were erased. The hard copy was placed in the restricted vault, but someone accessed it with your verification code.”

“My code?”

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose,

“Yes, no one else as access except you, unless….” He paused, probably giving her time to remember who else has access but she knew who,

Her husband.

Of course, her laptop, her desk, her life. He had access to all of it back when she still trusted him.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips as realization slapped her like a bitch,

“He stole my company.”

“He’s preparing to finalize a merger in three days. If it’s approved, Cruz will no longer exist, not under your name, not under your father’s.” He added.

Her grip tightened around the papers, as she ran her fingers through her hair.

“What do I do, Mr Darrel?

Darrel leaned closer, lowering his voice. “The forged file links to a dummy shell company under the name Valor Limited Holdings. They needed Cassia on the board to push this through.”

Cassia again? She was in on this, right from time?

“She’s not even qualified” Elena let out a disbelieving scoff,

“She is now. They granted her voting rights and title this morning.” He blurted, letting her know the gravity of the situation. Which is, they had erased her, one signature at a time.

“Elena, if this merger is signed,” He said quietly, “you lose the company forever.”

The silence that followed after was incredibly unsettling, she was foolish all along? Her father could see it coming from a thousand miles away and she shot herself in the leg.

Then a sharp laugh broke from her throat,

“He didn’t even have the decency to divorce me first,” she muttered. “He wanted my name and my business, father was right, fuck!”

A wave of anger surged through her, so hot she had to squat.

“Can you stop the merger?” she asked.

Darrel shook his head. “Not unless you prove fraud, and fast too. We need solid evidence, real signatures, timestamps, witnesses. If we move now, they’ll just bury it.”

“That fucking bastard..” she cussed under her breath before burying her face in her palms,

Without saying anything further, she surged up,

“Elena wait!” Darrel yelled,

But she stormed across the street, her heels slammed against the pavement. The security at the revolving door barely had time to nod before she pushed the building’s doors opened.

“Mrs. Valor, wait,” the receptionist stammered as Elena stormed through the lobby and toward the elevators.

“Mrs Valor, please! You can’t just—” The receptionist ran after her, but she didn’t stop.

Jacob had ruined her life, completely and she had been the one who gave him the power to do so. She was the mastermind behind his betrayal, the fool who let him push like buttons.

Some workers eyes were on her, but she walked towards the elevator and hit the button. The doors slid open, and she stepped inside.

The doors closed, she could hear her heart beating so fast in her ears. Her reflection in the stainless-steel walls was a stranger, she didn’t recognize who she saw anymore, anger was all over her face, and fear coursed through her veins.

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened again, she stepped onto the executive floor.

She walked slowly now, placing one foot in front of the other, like she was about to come face to face with reality. Then she saw it, her office, only… it wasn’t hers anymore.

The golden nameplate gleamed on the frosted glass door has changed,

CASSIA LIN – CREATIVE DIRECTOR

For a long moment, she couldn’t even breathe

Then her hands curled into fists. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the handle, but the door didn’t budge. It was locked, yet she tried again but still locked and she didn’t hold the keys any longer.

A few employees passed by, awkwardly silent, avoiding her eyes. She turned slowly and walked back toward the elevator.

She didn’t remember the drive back home, she barely noticed when her car stopped in the driveway, or how her keys slipped once in the lock.

But she noticed the silence the moment she stepped inside. Where was his whore and illegitimate son?

“Jacob!” she called, dropping her keys on the center table.

Her heels tapped against the wooden floor as she moved farther in.

“Jacob?” she called louder. But still no answer, until she rounded the corner and stopped short at the kitchen.

He was there, standing by the marble island with a change of clothes. A glass of whiskey in one hand, and a pen in the other.

It seemed like he was signing something.

Her brows furrowed, “Jacob!”

He turned smoothly, as he set the pen down and faced her.

“Oh good, you’re home,” he said casually. “Sign this.”

Elena blinked back, her gaze dropped to the counter.

“What is this?” she asked, voice low and wary.

He took a sip of his drink before answering ,

“Our divorce papers.”