Chapter 3
When we arrived at the office, my private lawyer was already waiting. Two identical sets of documents were laid out on the desk.
Victor grabbed one, flipping feverishly to the last page. When he saw the signature line, he was practically bursting with excitement.
'Charlotte... Once I sign this, everything you own belongs to me.'
He didn't even bother to read the fine print before scrawling his signature with a flourish.
I watched him, sneering silently.
That document wasn't a share transfer contract at all. It was an "Agreement for Unlimited Personal Liability."
In my previous life, he had used a similar trick to con me into signing away everything with a fancy "insurance policy." In this life, I was returning the favor with interest.
The agreement stated that he voluntarily accepted unlimited liability for every cent of debt incurred by one of my subsidiaries over the next ten years.
And I had already set that specific company up to take a "legal" nosedive, losing hundreds of millions in overseas investments.
So the second he signed the paper, he was instantly shackled himself to a mountain of debt. He wouldn't see a single penny of my fortune; instead, I was going to bleed him dry.
"There we go, Victor," I said, locking one of the copies in my safe. "Now I feel completely at ease."
Victor stood up, feeling triumphant, and walked over to stand behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I'm at ease too, Charlie."
'So at ease that you're finally going to kick the bucket.'
He slid his hands slowly down from my shoulders, exerting a cold, sinister pressure. I could feel it; he was getting ready to make his move.
We were in the CEO's office on the thirty-third floor, with the bustling city sprawling out beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
In my previous life, he did it at home. This time, he seemed even more chomping at the bit.
"Look at the view, Charlie. It's breathtaking," he whispered in my ear like a devil's murmur.
'One trip over the edge and she'll be nothing but a grease spot on the pavement.
'The cops will just chalk it up to a tragic accident, a husband and wife sharing a moment until she lost her footing.'
He moved his hands to my waist, ready to shove.
Just as he was about to push, I pretended to trip on the carpet, lunging forward and slipping right out of his grasp.
I cried out, spinning around to give him a dirty look. "What are you doing? You scared me."
Victor's face twitched as he struggled to hide the murderous glint in his eyes.
'Dammit! So close!'
He instantly switched to his innocent act. "I... I just wanted to give you a hug. You tripped on your own."
"Is that so?" I gave him a knowing smirk.
Right then, there was a knock at the door. My assistant walked in. "Ms. Quinn, Mrs. Linda Grant is here. She's making a scene at the front desk, demanding to see you. She says it's a matter of life and death."
His mother was here? Victor's face went pale.
'That old hag, what's she doing here? She's always throwing a wrench in the works.'
I sneered inwardly. Speak of the devil. It was time for the first guest to join the show.
"Let her in," I said.
Linda stormed into the office like a lioness on the warpath.
She didn't even glance at me, marching straight up to Victor and letting loose. "You no-count son! Did you do what I told you? When are you going to dump this barren hen and—"
"Mom!" Victor's face turned pale as he hurriedly interrupted her.