All Chapters of The Wife He Used as a Scapegoat : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

~ Isabella ~The long glass table in Vanguard’s main boardroom reflected the gray morning sky outside. Rain tapped steadily against the tall windows. Across the table, six members of Vanguard Capital’s executive board sat with their hands folded over black leather folders. They were not looking at the financial charts displayed on the wall screen. They were looking at me."Isabella," continuous board member Mark Sterling said, setting down his gold pen with a light click. "We understand that your family situation is complicated. We truly do. But this company needs a full-time leader."I sat up straight in my tall chair. My black jacket was crisp, but my fingers felt cold. "My family situation, Mark?""Your brother," another board member said. She smoothed her silk blouse and gestured vaguely with her hand. "You have been spending hours at New York Hospital. You are leaving meetings early. Meanwhile, Vanguard’s stock has fluctuated three percent this week alone because of this messy w

~ Isabella ~I sat in the hard plastic chair at the New York Hospital. The small room smelled like strong lemon soap and rubbing alcohol. My younger brother, Leo, slept in the narrow bed next to me. His chest moved up and down in a slow, steady rhythm. The loud beep of the heart monitor filled the quiet room.I watched his pale face. He looked so thin. The delay in his medical care during my time in prison really hurt him. His body was failing. I rubbed my tired eyes. I felt helpless.A tired nurse walked in through the heavy wooden door. She wore green scrubs and held a thick blue folder in her hands. She smiled at me and held out the folder."Good news, Ms. Hart," the nurse said. "Here is the final paperwork for Leo's donor matching program. The charity foundation paid for everything. Every single medical bill is covered. Your brother is at the top of the list now. We can schedule the transplant soon.""Thank you," I said. I took the folder from her. "I really appreciate your help.

~ Isabella ~I sat at the head of the polished oak table inside Vanguard Capital’s main boardroom, staring at the thick white folder in front of me. The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, hitting the dark steel walls of the room, but the bright light did not make me feel warm.The acquisition of Coldwell Industries' target subsidiary was completely dead.It was supposed to be a quiet, clean purchase. We had spent three weeks setting up the paperwork to buy the shell company, cutting off Damian Cole’s access to his primary shipping routes before he even realized we were in the room. The contracts were drafted. The terms were set. The final signatures were scheduled for nine o'clock this morning.Instead, at six in the morning, the buyout news hit the public market tickers. The sudden leak caused the target company's share price to jump thirty percent in twenty minutes, pricing Vanguard out of the deal and forcing the seller to pull back entirely.Someone had

~ Nathan ~"Sir, you need to look at the lobby security feed right now," Harrison said, his voice cracking as he pushed my office door open. He did not even knock. His fingers shook against the dark wood of the doorframe, and his tie was pulled crookedly to the side.I dropped my black ink pen onto the desk. It rolled against my coffee mug with a quiet *clink*. "What is it, Harrison? I told you I am trying to finish these internal audit files before the market closes.""It is not the market, Mr. Wolfe," Harrison said, stepping quickly toward my desk. He tapped the tablet in his hand, sending the live video feed straight to the large screen on my wall. "It is the federal government. They just came through the front doors."I stood up so fast my leather chair rolled backward and hit the glass window. On the screen, six people in dark blue jackets walked straight past our security guards. The yellow letters on the backs of their jackets were bright and clear: *FBI*. They walked in a tigh

~ Victoria ~The cold wood of the witness stand felt rough under my palms. I pressed my fingers hard into the edge, trying to make my hands stop shaking.The courtroom was completely silent. Dozens of eyes stared at me from the wooden benches. I saw reporters with notebooks, camera lenses pointed straight at my face, and lawyers sitting behind long brown tables.Right in the middle of it all sat my brother, Nathan.He looked tired. His dark eyes were fixed on me, clear and steady. He didn't look angry. He just looked sad.To his left sat my father, Arthur Wolfe. Dad was staring at me with a face made of stone. His lips were pressed into a thin, tight line. He didn't blink. He had spent my whole life telling me that the Wolfe name was the only thing that mattered. He told me that family meant protecting the legacy, no matter who got hurt.I took a shaky breath. The air in the courtroom tasted stale, like paper and old dust."State your name for the court," the judge said. Her voice was