All Chapters of Love in the Shadows of Legacy: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Alexander's POVThe board meeting had been brutal and lasted four hours but we'd survived it.Lily and I had presented the embezzlement evidence together, showing a united front that surprised everyone, including me.The board voted unanimously to prosecute Marcus Chen, David Rothschild, and Jonathan Pierce for fraud.But when we revealed the $300 million debt crisis, several members looked ready to resign on the spot.Robert Hartley had actually stood up and started yelling about Richard's incompetence until Lily calmly pointed out that the debt was structured by the same men we were prosecuting for embezzlement.That shut him up, but the damage was done; now everyone knew Thompson Enterprises was in serious trouble.By the time the meeting ended at 6 PM, we had a mandate to fix the debt situation within ninety days or face potential bankruptcy proceedings.Ninety days to restructure $300 million in loans controlled by a man who wanted us to fail.No pressure at all.Now, at 9 PM, I

Alexander's POVI was leaving the office Friday evening at 7 PM when I saw a man waiting by the elevator who looked familiar.Dark hair pulled back, intense eyes, dressed casually in a way that screamed 'artist, not businessman.'Rafael Delgado. Lily's date from the gallery opening."Alexander Thompson," he said when he saw me. "We need to talk.""About what?""About Lily and why you need to stay away from her." His voice was calm but his posture was aggressive."I don't think that's your decision to make." I kept walking toward the elevator but Rafael stepped in front of me."She's been through hell because of you. The leaked arrest record, the constant sabotage, the public humiliation." His jaw was tight. "And now you're what? Playing hero by helping her with some crisis you probably created?""I didn't create the embezzlement or the debt crisis. I'm helping fix it." I met his eyes. "And what I do or don't do with Lily is between me and her.""Wrong. It's my business when I care abo

Alexander's POVI couldn't sleep Monday night after seeing Diana's forensic report about the embezzlement.Every time I closed my eyes I saw Marcus and David and Jonathan's faces laughing at company events while they were stealing millions.At 3 AM, I gave up on sleep and drove back to the office to review every document again in case I'd missed something that would make this less awful.However, the evidence was clear and comprehensive, and there was no way to misinterpret what they'd done.$183 million was stolen through forty-seven transactions over three years.Shell companies with fake names are billing for consulting services that never happened. Payments approved by people I'd trusted completely.I pulled up emails from Marcus congratulating me on finding dirt on Lily and encouraging me to use it against her.You're doing the right thing. She's not qualified and everyone knows it. Keep up the pressure. He'd been cheering me on while stealing from the company we were supposedl

Alexander's POVDiana called at 11 PM Wednesday night with the final piece of evidence we'd been waiting for."I traced the last of the embezzled funds. They were funneled through Victor Walter's offshore accounts and then reinvested back into Thompson Enterprises as loans." Her voice was triumphant. "He stole your money and then loaned it back to you at predatory interest rates."I was in Richard's office with Lily, reviewing tomorrow's board presentation, and we both froze when we heard Diana's words on the speakerphone."Say that again," Lily said."Victor Walter has been running a circular scheme. Marcus, David, and Jonathan steal money through fake consulting fees. That money goes to Victor's shell companies. Victor then loans it back to Thompson Enterprises at high interest through the debt instruments we discovered." Diana was clearly excited about solving the puzzle. "He's been making money off both ends while positioning the company for bankruptcy."After she hung up Lily and

Alexander's POVI couldn't believe Lily was actually considering Victor's merger offer after everything we'd discovered.After I left Richard's office on Thursday afternoon, I called James immediately."Victor approached Lily with a merger proposal. She's actually thinking about accepting it.""What?" James sounded shocked. "After we found evidence he's behind everything?""She doesn't believe the evidence. She thinks I might be framing him." My voice was bitter. "Apparently everyone in her life is telling her to trust Victor over me.""Can you blame them? You did spend three weeks trying to destroy her." James sighed. "Alexander, from her perspective you're the one who's hurt her. Victor's just being charming and offering solutions.""Solutions that will let him destroy Thompson Enterprises from the inside." I paced my office. "I need to make her understand what Victor really is.""How? She doesn't trust you enough to believe your warnings."That was the problem and I didn't have a g