Chapter 3
While I was watering the third rose, the doorbell rang again.
I was surprised by who showed up this time. It was Reyna's mom, my mother-in-law, Kimberly Goodwin.
She was wearing a dress, holding a bag of fruit, and smiling warmly as she handed it to me. "Hey, Braiden, watering the flowers?"
"Come in and have a seat, Kimberly," I said.
Kimberly settled onto the stone bench in the yard and set the bag of fruit on the table. "I heard you and Reyna aren't getting along?"
"No, I just pulled out my money," I replied.
Her smile froze for a moment, but she quickly pulled herself together. "Braiden, look, Reyna's got a temper, sure, but deep down she really cares about you.
"I heard about the whole seating thing today. Yeah, she messed up. But you can't just walk away over something so small—"
"15 billion dollars isn't 'something so small,'" I shot back.
"I get it, I do," Kimberly said, giving my hand a gentle pat. "But think about it.
"Going public is a big deal, everyone's got their eyes on her. If you pull your money now, how's she supposed to face the whole industry?"
"She never thought about my dignity when she stuck me in the last row for everyone to see," I answered.
Kimberly's smile completely slipped away. "Braiden, you're someone who deals with big things. Why bother arguing with a woman?"
"Kimberly, I respect you, but there's something I need to say straight." I looked her in the eye. "Your daughter has been married to me for four years.
"The villa she lives in, the car she drives, the company she owns, every bit of it was paid for by me.
"In all that time, I never once asked her to thank me, never asked her to acknowledge me in front of anyone. The only thing I ever wanted was respect.
"So what did she give me today? A seat in the last row."
Kimberly opened her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say.
I added, "Her assistant calls her 'Reyna,' calls me 'Mr. Armstrong,' and sticks me in a seat without even a nameplate.
"Out of three hundred people, I invested more than all of them put together, but I didn't even get a mention, not a single word.
"Kimberly, this isn't just some argument. She doesn't want me anymore."
Kimberly stood up, her tone sharp. "Alright, since that's how you see it, I'm done trying.
"But let me tell you, Reyna will be just fine without you. Don't get too full of yourself."
With that, Kimberly picked up the fruit and walked out.
She took the fruit with her. I couldn't help but chuckle. Then I kept watering the flowers.
Twenty minutes later, I powered up my phone.
There was fifty-three missed calls, forty-seven from Reyna, three from Garrett, two from Korbin.
There was one more number I didn't recognize.
I called back that number.
They picked up. "Hello, Mr. Armstrong. This is Brice Cardenas from the exchange's listing review department.
"We've noticed some unusual activity in the funding for Reynia Group's IPO today."
"Mr. Cardenas, just handle it however you need to. No need to call me about it," I said.
"But Mr. Armstrong, it seems the main funding for Reynia Group is actually connected to you personally," Brice said.
"Go ask Reynia Group's CFO. His financial reports spell it out. Those funds came from three so-called strategic partners. Nothing to do with me," I replied.
There was a brief pause on the other end. Then he said, "Understood."
After hanging up, I texted Joey: [Look into Korbin, Reynia Group's chief assistant. What's his background?]
Joey was quick. Ten minutes later, he sent over a brief report.
Korbin Dalton, 29, MBA from a top school, joined Reynia Group three years ago.
His resume was squeaky clean.
The last line read: Korbin owned an investment company with 15 million dollars in registered capital.
His mother was listed as the legal representative, but the actual controller was unclear.
I stared at that line for a few seconds. [Keep digging. Check his private interactions with Reyna.]
Joey: [Understood.]
Just as I set my phone down, I heard an engine revving outside the gate. A white Porsche Cayenne sped into the yard.
When Reyna got out, her makeup was already a mess.
She was still in that white suit dress from this morning, her high heels hammering out a frantic rhythm on the stone path.
Reyna shouted, "Braiden!"
I didn't pause watering the flowers.
"What exactly do you want?" she demanded.
"What exactly do I want?" I said flatly.
Reyna marched right up, grabbed the watering can, and threw it to the ground. She yelled, "Do you even realize how much you made me lose face today?
"The exchange put everything on hold, all the investors are blowing up my phone asking what happened, and I'm getting bombarded with calls."
"When you made me sit in the last row, did it ever cross your mind how much you were making me look like a nobody?" I shot back.