Chapter 7: The Public Unraveling
The first article appeared at 7:12 a.m.
“Monroe Holdings Faces Liquidity Crisis as Major Suppliers Withdraw Contracts”
By noon, three more financial outlets had picked up the story. By the end of the day, the stock price of Monroe Holdings had dropped twenty-seven percent in a single trading session. Panic was spreading.
Adrian sat in his office, reading the articles one by one. He didn’t feel satisfaction. He felt nothing at all.
Marcus Hale walked in without knocking and placed a new report on his desk.
“Richard Monroe just tried to liquidate several personal assets to cover the company’s short-term debts,” Marcus said. “We blocked it. The man is desperate.”
Adrian nodded once.
Marcus hesitated.
“Adrian… how far do you want to take this? At this rate, Monroe Holdings will file for bankruptcy within thirty days. There are over four hundred employees who will lose their jobs. Some of them have worked there for twenty years.”
Adrian was quiet for a long time.
He thought about Lily climbing out of the fountain. He thought about the way she had looked at him in the car and asked if they were going to be poor again.
Then he thought about the four hundred families who had nothing to do with what Celeste did.
He closed the laptop.
“Slow it down,” he said quietly.
Marcus blinked. “What?”
“Continue the audit. Keep the pressure on Richard and Celeste personally. But stop targeting the suppliers and smaller investors. I don’t want to destroy the company completely. I want to destroy their control over it.”
Marcus studied him carefully.
“You’re pulling back.”
Adrian met his gaze.
“I’m choosing how far this goes. There’s a difference.”
Marcus nodded slowly and left the office.
That evening, Adrian came home earlier than usual. Lily was in the living room doing her homework on the large coffee table. She looked up when he entered.
“You’re home early,” she said.
Adrian loosened his tie and sat down beside her on the floor.
“I wanted to see you.”
Lily put her pencil down and studied him with those serious eyes that always made him feel like she could see straight through him.
“Are you still hurting them?” she asked quietly.
Adrian didn’t lie to her.
“Yes,” he said. “But not as much as I planned to.”
Lily was quiet for a moment.
“Good,” she finally said. “Because when you look angry all the time… it makes me scared too.”
Adrian felt something crack inside his chest.
He reached over and gently pulled her into his side. Lily leaned against him without hesitation.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m trying to protect you. But I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
Lily shook her head against his chest.
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said. “I’m afraid of losing you. You get this look in your eyes sometimes… like you’re far away. I don’t like it.”
Adrian closed his eyes and held his daughter tighter.
For the first time since the night of the fountain, he allowed himself to feel the weight of what he was doing.
He had wanted revenge.
May you like
But Lily didn’t need a vengeful father.
She needed a present one.
