Chapter 5
Back then, I kept all this from him because I didn't want money or power to come between us.
I wanted him to love Audrey the person, not the heiress of the Sargent Group.
Thinking about it now, I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculously naive I was.
On the fifty-second floor of the Sargent Group building, I opened the CEO's office door.
My assistant, Ayleen Barnes, was already inside, waiting for me.
"Ms. Sargent, you're here. Here are the documents you requested," she said.
She handed me a stack of papers, and I glanced through them.
They were the Holland Group's financial reports from the past three years, the ownership chart, and the specifics of the recent asset transfer.
Just as I expected, Jordan had moved most of the money out of our shared account, and the house that was under my name was already being signed over.
The real kicker? He wasn't transferring it to himself, but to Phoebe.
He bought her a house—with my money.
"Ayleen," I said.
"Yes, Ms. Sargent," she answered.
"Let the legal team know—start preparing our divestment plan," I told her.
Ayleen blinked in surprise. "You want to pull out? From the Holland Group?"
"Yes."
"Ms. Sargent, the Holland Group's cash flow is already stretched thin. If we withdraw now, their finances will collapse—they might not even make it through the month," she said.
I snapped the folder shut. "I know."
Ayleen glanced at me and asked, "When should we carry it out?"
I thought for a moment. "The day I walk away."
After leaving the Sargent Group, I went to the bank and froze all our joint accounts.
Then I went to the law firm and instructed my lawyer to handle the asset recovery.
Once everything was set, I went home and made dinner like I always did.
Jordan came home early for once, and to my surprise, he actually sat down at the table on his own.
"Did you make braised pork ribs today?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
He picked up a piece and took a couple of bites, then suddenly said, "Next Wednesday is our anniversary. I booked us tickets to Nordland, so we can see the Northern Lights together."
My hand paused mid-motion as I was ladling out the soup.
Here it came.
He was using this trip as an excuse to get me out of the way, so he could tie the knot with Phoebe while I was out of the country.
"Sure," I said with a smile. "Honestly, I could use some time to clear my head."
Jordan glanced at me, a mix of emotions flashing across his eyes.
"It feels like you've changed a lot lately," he said.
"Really?" I replied.
"Yeah, you used to bombard me with questions—about my schedule, the hotel, what to wear. Now you don't ask me anything," he said.
I set the bowl of soup in front of him.
"Didn't you say I was too controlling? So I backed off," I replied.
He didn't say anything else, just kept his head down and ate his soup.
I sat across from him, quietly watching him.
This was the last time I'd ever cook for him.