All Chapters of The Algorithm of Her Heart: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The emergency board meeting at Kane-Cordova Capital was scheduled for Friday morning, less than twenty-four hours after the article published. Dominic sat at the head of the conference table, his expression calm but his eyes hard.Eight board members filled the room. All of them looked concerned. Several looked angry.Richard Blackwell, the longest-serving board member, spoke first. "Dominic, we need to discuss the Elena Cordova situation and how it affects this firm.""There is no 'situation.' There are false allegations that we will prove are fabricated." Dominic's voice was steel. "Elena is innocent.""You can't know that for certain. The evidence looks damning." Another board member, Patricia Wu, leaned forward. "The SEC doesn't open investigations without cause.""The cause is fake documents created by someone trying to frame her. We have proof the trading records are fabricated." Dominic pulled up a presentation on the screen. "Elena's actual brokerage statements show none of th

Elena sat with Sarah and Dominic in her apartment, surrounded by evidence of the conspiracy. She had connected all the pieces, traced the consortium, identified their methods.But there was a problem."The digital forensics show the documents originated from Blackstone's building. But we can't prove definitively who created them or that it was done deliberately to frame you," Sarah explained. "The IP traces are suggestive but not conclusive. A good defense attorney could argue the connection is circumstantial.""What about the shell company registration? The connections between the firms?" Elena asked."Again, suggestive but not proof of conspiracy. Richard Blackwell sits on multiple boards. That's normal in the investment world." Sarah looked frustrated. "We can prove the documents are fake. We can show suspicious connections. But proving they deliberately framed you is harder."Elena felt her hope deflating. "So even though I know they did this, we can't prove it well enough to pros

Two days after Elena's exoneration, she received an email from an address she didn't recognize. The subject line read: "Information About Dominic Kane You Should Know."Elena almost deleted it as spam. But something made her open it."Ms. Cordova,My name is Cole Hartwick. You don't know me, but I know a lot about Dominic Kane's past. Specifically, about how he really started his business empire.I have documentation proving that Dominic's initial seed capital, the money he used to start his first company twenty years ago, came from illegal activities. Theft, specifically. He stole over two hundred thousand dollars when he was nineteen years old.I've contacted Dominic directly with this information. He has until the end of this month to pay me fifty million dollars, or I go public with everything. The media would love this story, especially now that he's so prominently associated with you.I'm reaching out to you because I suspect you might be willing to pay to protect him. After all

The press conference was scheduled for Tuesday morning at ten o'clock. Dominic chose a neutral location: a hotel conference room that could accommodate the media crowd he expected.Elena woke up that morning to find Dominic already awake, sitting at her kitchen table staring at his prepared statement."Did you sleep at all?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him from behind."Maybe an hour." Dominic leaned back against her. "I keep thinking about all the ways this could go wrong.""Or all the ways it could go right." Elena kissed the top of his head. "You're doing the brave thing, Dominic. Owning your past instead of running from it.""I'm terrified." His voice was quiet. "What if everyone turns on me? What if I lose everything?""Then we rebuild. Together." Elena sat beside him. "But Dominic, I think you're underestimating people. Your story is compelling. Desperate teenager in foster care makes terrible choice, then spends twenty years building legitimate success and giving back.

Elena called Marcus the next morning and asked if they could meet to discuss something important regarding Lily. His voice immediately became concerned."Is she okay? Is something wrong?""She's fine. But we need to talk about custody arrangements. Can you meet us this afternoon?" Elena kept her tone neutral.There was a pause. "Us? Lily will be there?""Yes. She wants to be part of this conversation. She has something to tell you herself." Elena could hear the tension in Marcus's silence."Alright. Come to my house at three. We can talk privately in my study." Marcus agreed, though Elena could hear the apprehension in his voice.Elena and Lily arrived at Marcus's house exactly at three. Marcus let them in himself, looking nervous and uncertain."Hi, Daddy." Lily hugged him, and Marcus held her a bit longer than usual, as if sensing something was coming."Hi, sweetheart. Should we go to my study?" Marcus led them down the hall to his office.The room was familiar to both Elena and Lil