Chapter 2: The Fall of Ashford Global
By sunrise…
Nathan Ashford’s empire was collapsing.
The news spread faster than anyone expected.
ASHFORD GLOBAL UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING, AND ILLEGAL TRANSFERS.
Every screen in the world carried his name.
But not as a billionaire.
As a criminal suspect.
Nathan sat inside his office staring at the television.
The company he built.
The reputation he protected.
Everything was disappearing.
Celeste walked into the room.
For the first time, she wasn’t wearing confidence.
She looked terrified.
“Nathan…”
He ignored her.
“They froze my accounts.”
She stepped closer.
“My lawyer says we should leave.”
Nathan slowly turned.
“Leave?”
“Yes.”
She avoided his eyes.
“Before things get worse.”
A bitter laugh escaped him.
“You’re leaving?”
Celeste stayed silent.
And Nathan finally understood.
The woman who helped destroy his marriage…
Was never loyal to him.
She was loyal to his money.
“You knew.”
Celeste looked away.
“You knew about the accounts.”
She said nothing.
Nathan stood.
“You helped me hide everything.”
“I helped you build an empire.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“You helped yourself.”
Meanwhile, Elena sat inside her father’s private office.
Her back was treated.
Her wounds were healing.
But the emotional damage was harder.
Richard placed a cup of tea in front of her.
“You should have left six months ago.”
Elena looked down.
“I needed proof.”
“I know.”
“You were angry.”
“I was terrified.”
She looked at him.
“Why didn’t you come sooner?”
Richard’s expression softened.
“Because you asked me not to.”
A tear slowly fell from Elena’s eye.
“I thought I could fix him.”
Richard shook his head.
“People like Nathan don’t break because someone stops loving them.”
“They break because they finally meet consequences.”
That afternoon…
Elena appeared before the investigators.
She provided every recording.
Every document.
Every hidden transaction.
Including the audio from Blackthorn Manor.
The world heard Nathan’s voice.
The threats.
The cruelty.
The two hundred strikes.
The laughter.
The humiliation.
And finally…
Elena’s quiet words.
“Dad… finish him.”
The public reaction was immediate.
People who once admired Nathan now demanded justice.
Within days:
Ashford Global lost its investors.
The board removed him.
His properties were seized.
His reputation vanished.
But Nathan still had one final weapon.
May you like
A secret.
A secret he believed could destroy Elena.
