Chapter 5 – The Empire Begins to Crack
By sunrise, every major business network had one story at the top of its broadcasts.
RHODES GLOBAL UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER GALA INCIDENT.
Financial analysts called it a public relations disaster.
Investors called it a liability.
The board of directors called an emergency meeting.
Damien Rhodes called his lawyers.
The forty-second floor of Rhodes Global Headquarters had always been a place where bad news stopped before reaching the CEO.
Not today.
Damien stormed into the conference room to find twelve board members waiting in silence.
At the far end of the table sat Eleanor Grant, the company's lead independent director.
She slid a tablet toward him.
"You should watch this."
"I've already seen the livestream."
"No," Eleanor replied. "You haven't."
Damien pressed play.
The hotel security footage filled the screen.
Every angle.
Every second.
He watched Celeste shift her foot.
He watched Emma stumble.
He watched himself ordering security to remove his visibly pregnant wife.
Then came the clearest camera angle of all.
His own voice echoed through the conference room.
"Get her out of my event."
No one spoke as the video ended.
Damien looked around the room.
"Someone edited this."
"Our forensic experts disagree," Eleanor said.
"It was manipulated."
"They've already authenticated the metadata."
Another board member leaned forward.
"Our insurers have been notified."
"So have federal regulators."
Damien felt the first genuine crack in his confidence.
Across town, Emma slowly opened her eyes.
The morning sunlight filtered through the hospital curtains.
The pain remained, but the frantic alarms were gone.
Dr. Olivia Carter entered with a gentle smile.
"You gave us quite a scare."
Emma instinctively placed a hand on her stomach.
"Noah?"
"The heartbeat is strong."
Tears rolled down Emma's cheeks.
"He made it?"
"For now."
The doctor's expression became more serious.
"But you and your son will need several weeks of complete bed rest."
Emma nodded.
She could live with that.
Then Ethan entered the room.
He looked exhausted, but there was a quiet determination in his eyes.
Without saying a word, he handed Emma a tablet.
She watched the security footage.
She watched herself begging.
She watched Celeste deliberately trip her.
She watched Damien stand still while she bled.
Emma covered her mouth.
"I thought... maybe I imagined some of it."
"You didn't."
"They'll deny it."
"They already have."
Emma looked at her brother.
"What happens now?"
Ethan pulled a folded document from his briefcase and placed it on her hospital bed.
Across the top, in bold letters, were the words:
PETITION FOR DIVORCE
Beneath it was another document.
MOTION TO FREEZE MARITAL ASSETS.
Emma looked up in surprise.
"I don't have a lawyer."
Ethan gave a faint smile.
"You do now."
Before Emma could answer, a nurse hurried into the room, her face pale.
"Mr. Bennett..."
"What is it?"
"There are federal agents downstairs."
She swallowed.
May you like
"They're here with a warrant."
"They're asking for Damien Rhodes."
