Part 2: The Confrontation at the Mansion
"Cameron? What the hell is this?" Derek tried to muster his usual arrogant posture, but his voice cracked slightly. He looked between his older brother and his sister-in-law's attorney. "This is my home. You can't just bust in here with—"
"Quiet," Cameron said. It wasn't a shout. It was a command, delivered with the absolute authority of a man who held Derek’s entire destiny in his palm.
Gabrielle didn't waste a breath. She walked past Derek as if he were a piece of cheap furniture, heading straight for Simone. She wrapped her arms around her younger sister, holding her tight. "I’ve got you, Simmy. I’ve got you. You're safe now."
Simone let out a shaky breath, burying her face in her sister’s shoulder. For the first time since the jet had leveled off over the Atlantic, she felt like she could breathe.
"Derek, sit down," Cameron ordered, walking over to the wet bar. He didn't pour a drink; he simply leaned against the marble counter, crossing his arms.
"I'm not sitting down in my own house!" Derek yelled, his bravado returning as he tried to look tough in front of Simone. "Look, if this is about what happened on the plane, it was an argument between two women. It’s a domestic issue. It has nothing to do with Rivers Industries, and it sure as hell has nothing to do with you, Cameron."
"It has everything to do with me," Cameron replied. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen, spinning it around so it faced Derek. "Play it."
The audio filled the quiet penthouse. Tiffany’s sharp, cruel voice echoed off the plaster walls. “Move your pregnant body out of my seat... You really thought you could sit up here with us? Like you belong?” Then came the sound of the scuffle, Simone’s cry of pain, and finally, Derek’s own voice: “Tiff, just let her sit down. We don’t need drama.”
Derek’s face drained of color. His eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape route that didn't exist. "Where... where did you get that?"
"Lisa Martinez has a conscience," Cameron said coldly. "Something that seems to have skipped your DNA entirely. Did you really think you could humiliate a pregnant woman—my sister-in-law, a woman carrying a child who bears our family name—and there would be no consequences?"
"Cameron, listen to me," Derek stammered, stepping forward, his hands raised in supplication. "Tiffany is... she's an investor's daughter. I had to keep her happy for the sake of the firm. It was business!"
"Business?" Gabrielle interrupted, turning around with a look of pure disdain. "Let me tell you about business, Derek. I filed a petition for emergency divorce and full custody of your unborn child forty-five minutes ago. I also filed a restraining order against your mistress, Tiffany Blake, which is currently being served to her at her high-rise apartment as we speak."
"You can't do that!" Derek shouted, his panic turning into rage. "The prenup states—"
"The prenup has an infidelity clause, Derek," Gabrielle said, tapping her briefcase. "And more importantly, it has a lifestyle and physical endangerment clause. Your mistress physically assaulted a pregnant woman under your direct supervision, and you failed to intervene, causing severe emotional distress and potential medical risk to the unborn child. That prenup isn't a shield anymore. It's a noose."
Derek shook his head, turning to his brother. "Cameron, you can't let her do this. We're brothers! Blood is thicker than water!"
"Our mother’s blood is thick," Cameron said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Your blood is like water. Tomorrow at 8:00 AM, the Board of Directors will receive a formal recommendation from me to strip you of your title as Vice President of Global Logistics. The forensic audit has already begun, Derek. And if I find even one cent of company money spent on Tiffany Blake’s flights, hotels, or jewelry... I won't just fire you. I will personally hand the file to the federal prosecutor."
Derek collapsed onto the sofa, his head in his hands. The reality of his situation was finally crashing down. He wasn't just losing his wife; he was losing his empire.
"Simone," Derek begged, looking up at his wife with tear-filled eyes. "Please. Tell them to stop. We can work this out. I’ll break it off with Tiffany. I’ll never see her again. Please, think about our daughter."
May you like
Simone stood tall, her sister’s hand firmly in hers. She looked at the man she used to adore, and for the first time, she felt absolutely nothing.
"I am thinking about my daughter," Simone said, her voice clear and resonant. "And that's why I'm leaving you."
