Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 81 - Chapitre 90

The anniversary celebration was magnificent. The fashion show featured pieces from every collection we'd created over three years. Models walked the runway wearing evolution—from the angry "Evidence of Survival" pieces to the peaceful, hopeful designs of our current season.Emma walked in the finale wearing a dress we'd designed together. White silk with hand-painted phoenixes rising up from the hem. She looked so grown up at nine years old. So confident. When she reached the end of the runway and struck her pose, the audience erupted.I stood backstage with Marcus watching on monitors. Tears streamed down my face."She's incredible," Marcus whispered."She's everything we fought for."The after party filled the entire SoHo flagship store. Five hundred guests. Industry leaders, celebrities, supporters, employees. Everyone who had been part of our journey.I gave a speech thanking everyone. Announced our expansion plans. Revealed our new profit sharing program that would make every emp

"Everything," I repeated. Jessica's word hung in the air between us. "You want everything I've built.""Not want. Will have. I already own thirty-one percent of Nott Designs. In a few months, I'll have controlling interest. Then you'll work for me. Or watch me dismantle what you created piece by piece." Her voice was pleasant, conversational. "Unless you'd like to negotiate.""What kind of negotiation?""You step down as CEO. Sign over your shares to me. Walk away from Nott Designs completely. In exchange, I leave your family alone. Emma grows up safe. Marcus keeps his photography career. The Phoenix Rising foundation continues operating. Everyone you love stays protected.""And if I refuse?""Then I take the company anyway, but much less pleasantly. I destroy your reputation in the process. Expose every mistake you've made. Turn the industry against you. Make sure Emma grows up watching her mother's spectacular fall from grace." Jessica paused. "I'm patient, Bethany. I can make this

The next morning, I called an emergency meeting with Marcus, Agent Park, and our lawyer. We gathered at Agent Park's house instead of ours. Even after five years, I didn't fully trust that our home wasn't somehow compromised."Walk me through everything we know about this scholarship," I said.Agent Park spread documents across her dining table. "The Excellence in Fashion Innovation Scholarship was established six months ago through a Cayman Islands trust called the Creative Futures Foundation. The trust was funded with two million dollars from a Swiss bank account held by a corporation registered in Liechtenstein.""Can we trace the corporation?""I tried. It's a shell within a shell within a shell. The ownership records lead to other corporations, which lead to more corporations. Classic Jessica Patterson structure. She's been using these exact methods for forty years."Our lawyer, a sharp woman named Patricia who specialized in corporate law, chimed in. "The scholarship itself is c

The next morning, I woke up with Emma's words still echoing in my mind. "Your revenge."I went through my routine on autopilot. Shower. Coffee. Check security reports. Review Nott Designs emails. The same pattern I'd followed for fifteen years.Marcus was already in his studio when I came downstairs. Through the doorway, I could see him reviewing photos. He didn't look up when I passed. When had that started? When had we stopped greeting each other in the mornings?I couldn't remember.At the office, Victoria briefed me on upcoming collections. Her presentation was polished and professional. But when she finished, she gathered her materials quickly."Do you need anything else?" she asked, already moving toward the door."No, that's fine."She left without the casual conversation we used to have. When had that stopped too?I looked around my office. Everything was perfect. Organized. Controlled. Successful.And completely joyless.My assistant brought lunch at one. "You have the design

The drive back to Manhattan took two hours. It felt like two years.Marcus drove while I made calls. First to Agent Park, who was already coordinating the search from Diane's house. Then to Victoria, telling her to lock down all Nott Designs locations in case this was a broader attack."Tell me exactly what happened," I said to Agent Park when she answered."Diane woke up around six AM on her couch. She'd been drugged—we found traces of a fast-acting sedative in her coffee from last night. She has no memory after nine PM. The security team was also drugged. Same method. Someone spiked the coffee pot they all used.""How did they get to the coffee pot?""We're still investigating. But it was professional. Whoever did this knew the security protocols, knew the schedules, knew exactly when and how to strike.""Emma?""Taken sometime between nine PM and six AM. We don't know exactly when. Security footage shows nothing—all cameras were hacked. Looped footage so it looked like everything w