THE WIFE HE BETRAYED BECAME HIS GREATEST REGRET

at Margaret Hayes Capital recei

Holdings. Give them one final opportunit

secretary, Natalie, who immediately prepared the forma

10:38 a.m., Natalie walked into Eleanor's off

Holdings has receive

in front of her, she kept trying to concentra

nd

ven't re

own again and

acknowledg

ma'

egal departm

N

ide an explanati

ma'

looked u

icient o

ure whether her employ

closed t

r legal depar

ready

act them o

ie no

ll refuse to res

uttoning the sle

ask them

ie bl

pers

her meaning to

ma'

Arrange

or the com

looked

pany

tain

arted towa

Nat

tu

, ma

m that the chief executive of Margaret

equest an a

cked up he

N

for a moment then she

erst

e city moved with its usual impatience. Cars crowded the roads, pedestrians hurried past

that afternoon and Adrian had asked her to accompany him to a meeting with several investors, and she had spent the previous evening helping him prepare a presentation because his team had overlooked an

had believed that loving someone meant being

things and she promised to n

s, it appeared on the screen. It was not a response to her docu

chment and scanned the

crease in international revenue that depended on a di

jected growth figures were misleading and if the merger proceeded on the assumption that the agreement was alread

nd time, checking the numbers against the informa

pancy was

ng smile tou

nt to send me the documents

cked up he

lain himself I will make him explain

d Holdings. The vehicle was sleek and polished, its dark windows

out first and ope

for revenge, they were clueless. She wore red from head to toe, her fitted red gown followed the length of her figure, elegant without being excessive, over it, she wore a long red jacket that fell past her knees, its clean lines giving

ce. This Eleanor looked like a woman who had already decided how

pavement as she approached the

oors exchanged a startled glance. "Wait,"

ackwood," the o

What is she

came to s

ee watched Elean

e looks like she

rossed Eleanor's lips because she had heard th

ait and watch, you know who

er computer. Two executives coming out of the elevator stopped mid-conv

read throug

at Adrian

they got

't you see the

hy is s

e wants h

as she watched Eleanor ap

ion? I don't think

in front of th

morn

so quickly that her

orning,

o see Adria

ave an ap

N

ist glanced a

is currently

m that Eleanor

tionist h

Blac

gaze settl

ayes p

as quiet but eff

tionist s

Hayes. I'll cont

nk y

uments Adrian brought home and left scattered across his study, she had spent years in this building, she had attended events here, she had waited in Adrian's office while he

onist lifte

ood's offic

econds

leanor Hayes is

istened and her ey

have an appoi

her

s,

lowered t

d says he is

pression did

he sa

ma'

sk what I

N

eres

ed the strap o

argaret Hayes Capital, a shareholder in Blackwood Holdings. I have made

hurriedly picked

than a minute later, the

od says he w

elle

ed toward th

r is the bo

-eighth flo

nk y

. Behind her, the whispers grew louder, nobody knew what was ab

lackwood Holdings to cry, she c

ackwood was in his office with Victor

. Hayes

look up, and he shouted mak

s trying to act as if he

turned to

lready forgetting the n

. "Please Victoria, this is no

nt remained

e says she is here on behal

pen stopp

ha

documents relating to the merger. She

ked at the

ized her to

istant

CEO of Margare

w who

shareholder rights,"

urned to

not your

s smile s

pointing out

back at hi

her to

eady on her way

slowl

her to g

receptionist for the board

et out a s

sounds lik

rabbed h

into the boardroom

stant hu

rose from

her make a scene in fr

djusted

't make

're

oked

d she

ria s

d see how the woman who was onc

ssion darkened, he had divorced Eleanor less than two days ago, he had not expected her to return to his

t around the long conference table, some reviewing documents, others speakin

reserved for Adrian remained empty

er lowered his coffee cup. A woman near the window leaned toward the man bes

d accompanied him to charity dinners. She had been introduced to investors as his wife but the wo

d to the head

front of the empty chair,

rning, e

swered im

executive clea

ing, Mrs.

ked at him

u could address me

an fl

polog

cep

ed around

here may be unexpected, so allo

one hand on

er wife, but that relationship is now over. It

precise, and entirel

m shareholder in Blackwood Holdings. My company has requested documents

ssed throug

r cont

the documents exist, I expect them to be provided through the proper channels. If ther

pa

pretend that everything

room door

lance: the executives seated around the table, the merger presentation on the screen,

ession h

ean

ned tow

ease I would not stand here seeing you addressing me as

irritated him more

not simply walk into my boardroom a

at him and th

oming, your receptionist contacted your office, you were given

ou the authority to s

a discussion concerning a transaction

lted h

r that I discuss

ered their eyes to h

s jaw t

place for persona

ree

hould leave and arr

the folder in

appropriate channels but neither received a resp

toward the he

n this company into an exten

ed so hard that all the executi

nteres

es nar

at

credit me, but you seem to forget your responsi

m fell

s face

your

e, if the facts make you uncomfo

stepped

d between you and Adrian, you cannot walk in

the first since she entered the room,

ctoria S

lifted

es

at you were a memb

as Adrian'

tunate f

's smile

hat suppos

d at the chair

te discussion has become a social gathering beca

cutives coughe

's cheek

e bein

precise, there'

ned her atten

cussing my personal life, I'

voice bec

ssary information to que

ould provide the doc

lose every internal document

for the documentation relevant to a transaction that may require

paper acros

was sent yesterday and the second was sent thi

ral counsel seated nea

xplain why neither r

ounsel shifte

ing the scope

fice should h

that the documents we

rstandable. S

s eyes

nor,

rned t

this way, I am no longer your wife, you h

she was about to forgive him even before he apologized but he did not recognize the woman looking at him now. There was no plea for understanding in her eyes, no hop

ned back to

the projected r

l officer, Martin

our international revenue by thirt

ch distributi

n hes

r distributio

been fin

ions are

rojection treat the

lanced a

ed and everyo

ted revenue assumes that Northstar will distribute our products a

leared h

t the negotiations will

tion is not

other documen

requested revised pricing and more favorable termination terms. If those terms ar

n looking at their

r cont

revenue projection becomes materially weaker yet the merger valuation app

ace had be

reliminary p

identified as condi

d directl

rence between revenue a company has

table silen

stepped

fully capable of assess

ld have no difficulty explaini

ean

ve had every opportunity to provide the do

kened and he felt

ed without

Capital will not support a merger valuation that relies on

ne executive leaned toward another. Mar

aised hi

This meeting is g

d at him and

under control by ans

t its seems like. Victoria, who had been stan

bitter because Adrian chose to move on, and now s

tives looked

der then she turned to Victor

well it must be a wonderful feeling to enter a room and believe tha

s face we

s a corpora

not qualify you to assess the financial projections,

opened

raised o

Let me

gesture s

at supports the merger, we would all be happy to review it but if your only argument is that I'm a b

's cheek

you're bett

I know

briefly to the empt

siness, and you appear to be

table. Victoria looked around, searching for

d back to

dea who you're

smiled

akes tw

ous, humiliated and uncertain whether she could win a confront

epped bet

ria, e

ared a

taking h

to conduct

t!"she raised h

glances. Eleanor sat down, crossed one leg

're ready, Mr

oice was more humilia

to the room believing Eleanor would be easy to provoke, instead, Eleanor had dismantled

d when she used to ask him whether he thought she looked good before company events, he remembered how she would sometimes change her outfit because he preferred something more conservative, he remembered tell

nd beneath both feelings, there

finally, "what ex

look

docum

the do

about this

after

ld his

nds on wha

ned fo

threaten me with th

N

sed her

re afraid of losing something. Your employees want their jobs, your in

pa

e to ask you for

him off guard, he saw the woman h

asons for being here. If the merger is sound, prove it, if it

expressio

making a

rha

from he

t will be my mi

uments and turned to

ine. If the company intends to withhold any requested records, iden

ood, Ms.

hen she look

more

wai

er to me as your wife. That arrangemen

remained

e the same profess

ared unable

cked up he

ou for y

door, her heels clicked against the

til the door cl

he first to br

that deli

urned to

ha

way she spoke, the way she mad

ept quiet trying to think

stepped

ing to des

l really be happy if you have something to contri

a stare

riously def

ating a

barrass

patienc

emained quiet when the discussi

cutives suddenly found their

drian as if he

not be s

aled s

ria, p

et to speak to me like that after ev

looke

e work

that room and command the attention of people who barely acknowledged her own presence, she had watched Adrian struggle to control the me

n of power beside Adrian, she had not expe

ed up he

d softly. "Go a

ut but before the elevator doors closed,

Hayes Capital. Especially the history be

screen then adde

what Ele

"She would regret th