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The executives left murmuring among themselves about Steven and about how they’re going to tear up their deal with him and reconsider my acquisition proposal. I might even be invited to go to their office and complete my full presentation in the coming days.

It’s like we’ve been able to rewind time. It’s like Fabien has somehow conjured a miracle.

Steven has been exposed for the crook he is. I can’t believe how blind I was to it, believing he was a good guy and a good friend for all the time I’ve known him, but it seems both my brother’s and Fabien’s intuitions were correct. Steven Rinde is a scammer, running this scheme for years.

But now? He hurt me, and by extension, Fabien. And Fabien isn’t someone you mess around with.

Especially when it comes to me.

I turn around to spot the man at the other end of the gallery. He’s speaking to the staff, congratulating the team, taking the time out to genuinely thank them individually for their work today. He’s a calm and quiet leader. A good man.

I’m so damn lucky.

This week started out as the worst week of my life, but it’s turned everything upside down.

The executives gone, I step back from the gallery front doors and shut them.

That’s it.

Fabien did have a plan, and it freaking worked.

“The smug bastard,” I say under my breath with a smile.

Before I can head back to the man, my phone buzzes in my hand.

It’s Steven.

Shit.

I answer. My hands are shaking, and I’m nervous as hell, but I want to have the closure of speaking to him one last time.

“Jolie, what have you done?”

He doesn’t even give me time to say hello.

“You’ve heard already, Steven? Word travels fast, it seems.”

“What the hell are you doing?”

He’s practically spitting down the phone at me.

“I’ve told the truth, Steven, to the people who matter,” I say as calmly as I can. “As simple as that. Your ways have finally caught up with you. Your chickens have come home to roost.”

“This is bullshit. This is not fair. You can’t do this. I’ll sue your ass.”

I close my eyes and breathe through my nose.

“It’s too late. I’ve done it, Steven. You’ve been exposed. Your hijacked acquisition is off. You’re going down for what you did to me.”

I’m cold. Unemotional. I’m not taking much satisfaction in this, just a sense of bringing everything to an end.

“What can I do to stop this, Jolie?” Steven asks. He’s turned on a dime.

“You can’t do anything. It’s too late.”

“Anything, Jolie.”

“No.”