Chapter 4 · The Man in Last Row

"That's not the same at all. That seat was just…" Reyna protested.

"Just what? Just that you think I'm not good enough for the front row?" I shot back.

She was stunned for a moment. "I didn't mean it like that."

I continued, "Then what did you mean?

"You and your chief assistant decided to shove the guy who put in 25 billion dollars all the way in the back, while a bunch of fund managers who only threw in a few million get the VIP seats?"

"Those people are industry contacts. We have to keep them happy. You're my husband, it's different with you," Reyna said.

"Yeah, it's different. They invest a few million and get their names on plaques, get introduced, get recognition. I put in 25 billion dollars and don't even get a name tag on my seat," I answered.

Reyna bit her lip, her chest heaving. "Braiden, if you send the money back now, it's not too late. I can still work things out with the exchange."

"It's too late," I said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I replied, "I've already had Joey let the exchange know. The actual money situation for Reynia Group is getting sent to the review department before the day's over."

All the color drained from Reyna's face. She asked, "What did you just say?"

I said, "You had Garrett cook up three shell companies to hide the real source of my investment.

"If the exchange looks into this, it's not just about pausing the IPO anymore. It's misrepresentation. That's a serious offense."

"Braiden," she shouted.

"You should've expected this when you stuck me in the last row," I said.

Reyna stared at me, her whole body trembling. "Are you really going to destroy my company?"

"I'm not the one wrecking your company. You did that yourself," I replied. "You cared more about keeping up appearances than about me, more about looking good than having anything real.

"Now that the real support is gone, can you still keep up the act?"

"Does it make you happy to see me fall apart?" Reyna shot back.

"I don't feel good about any of this," I said calmly.

I crouched down, picked up the watering can, and brushed the dirt off.

I spoke up again. "Reyna, if you were still that girl from four years ago—the one in the cheap T-shirt, crying in front of me—I'd never have left you."

Reyna didn't say a word.

"But you're not that girl anymore," I added.

Reyna's eyes were rimmed with red, but not a single tear fell.

She was a proud person. Even if the sky fell, she'd never cry in front of me.

"Braiden, just give me three days. I'll figure out a way to cover the gap," Reyna pleaded.

"How are you supposed to make up 15 billion dollars in three days?" I shot back.

She clenched her fists. "I'll go find investors."

I said flatly, "Who are you going to find? Sawyer Group? Radiance Media? You really think the people who showed up today put in that much?

"Sawyer Group only gave you an 80 million dollar letter of intent, and Radiance Media offered 15 million dollars.

"That's less than 300 million dollars combined. You've got a 15 billion dollar hole. Even a hundred Sawyer Groups couldn't fill that."

"So what do you want me to do? You want me to beg?" Reyna shot back.

"I don't need you to beg," I replied.

"Then what do you really want from me?" she asked.

"I just want you to answer one thing," I said.

She looked at me. "Stone Capital, managing 100 billion dollars. Braiden, is that yours?"

"Who is Korbin Dalton?" I asked.

Her pupils contracted for a split second. It was barely noticeable, but I caught it.

"He's my assistant," she replied.

"Your assistant owns an investment company with 15 million dollars in registered capital. His salary can't possibly cover that," I continued.

"It's just family money," Reyna explained.

"His mom owns a little tailor shop back in their hometown. She barely makes 150,000 dollars a year," I added.

Reyna's face changed. "You investigated him?"

"I checked him out because you let him call you 'Reyna.' No regular assistant would call his boss that, unless he thinks you two are more than just boss and assistant," I said.

"Stop it," Reyna said.

"If I've crossed the line, that's up to what you say now," I went on.

She turned around, walked back to the Porsche, and opened the door. "Braiden, investigate all you want. My conscience is clear."

"Then why are you dodging my question?" I pressed.

Reyna got into her car, started the engine, and drove off without looking back.

The tires rolled over the stone path, crushing a cluster of newly bloomed tulips.

I stared at the crushed flowers, crouched down, and tried to straighten the broken stems.

It was useless. The roots were all snapped.

At two in the afternoon, Joey sent me the second report. It was way more detailed than I'd expected.

Korbin's investment company had seventeen transactions over three years, each ranging from five to twenty million dollars.

All the money traced back to a single account. The account was under Reyna's name.

Over three years, it added up to nearly 130 million dollars. It was drawn from Reynia Group's operating funds.

Of the 25 billion dollars I invested in Reynia Group, 130 million dollars was transferred to Korbin's company.

What was that money used for?

Chapter 4

"That's not the same at all. That seat was just…" Reyna protested.

"Just what? Just that you think I'm not good enough for the front row?" I shot back.

She was stunned for a moment. "I didn't mean it like that."

I continued, "Then what did you mean?

"You and your chief assistant decided to shove the guy who put in 25 billion dollars all the way in the back, while a bunch of fund managers who only threw in a few million get the VIP seats?"

"Those people are industry contacts. We have to keep them happy. You're my husband, it's different with you," Reyna said.

"Yeah, it's different. They invest a few million and get their names on plaques, get introduced, get recognition. I put in 25 billion dollars and don't even get a name tag on my seat," I answered.

Reyna bit her lip, her chest heaving. "Braiden, if you send the money back now, it's not too late. I can still work things out with the exchange."

"It's too late," I said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I replied, "I've already had Joey let the exchange know. The actual money situation for Reynia Group is getting sent to the review department before the day's over."

All the color drained from Reyna's face. She asked, "What did you just say?"

I said, "You had Garrett cook up three shell companies to hide the real source of my investment.

"If the exchange looks into this, it's not just about pausing the IPO anymore. It's misrepresentation. That's a serious offense."

"Braiden," she shouted.

"You should've expected this when you stuck me in the last row," I said.

Reyna stared at me, her whole body trembling. "Are you really going to destroy my company?"

"I'm not the one wrecking your company. You did that yourself," I replied. "You cared more about keeping up appearances than about me, more about looking good than having anything real.

"Now that the real support is gone, can you still keep up the act?"

"Does it make you happy to see me fall apart?" Reyna shot back.

"I don't feel good about any of this," I said calmly.

I crouched down, picked up the watering can, and brushed the dirt off.

I spoke up again. "Reyna, if you were still that girl from four years ago—the one in the cheap T-shirt, crying in front of me—I'd never have left you."

Reyna didn't say a word.

"But you're not that girl anymore," I added.

Reyna's eyes were rimmed with red, but not a single tear fell.

She was a proud person. Even if the sky fell, she'd never cry in front of me.

"Braiden, just give me three days. I'll figure out a way to cover the gap," Reyna pleaded.

"How are you supposed to make up 15 billion dollars in three days?" I shot back.

She clenched her fists. "I'll go find investors."

I said flatly, "Who are you going to find? Sawyer Group? Radiance Media? You really think the people who showed up today put in that much?

"Sawyer Group only gave you an 80 million dollar letter of intent, and Radiance Media offered 15 million dollars.

"That's less than 300 million dollars combined. You've got a 15 billion dollar hole. Even a hundred Sawyer Groups couldn't fill that."

"So what do you want me to do? You want me to beg?" Reyna shot back.

"I don't need you to beg," I replied.

"Then what do you really want from me?" she asked.

"I just want you to answer one thing," I said.

She looked at me. "Stone Capital, managing 100 billion dollars. Braiden, is that yours?"

"Who is Korbin Dalton?" I asked.

Her pupils contracted for a split second. It was barely noticeable, but I caught it.

"He's my assistant," she replied.

"Your assistant owns an investment company with 15 million dollars in registered capital. His salary can't possibly cover that," I continued.

"It's just family money," Reyna explained.

"His mom owns a little tailor shop back in their hometown. She barely makes 150,000 dollars a year," I added.

Reyna's face changed. "You investigated him?"

"I checked him out because you let him call you 'Reyna.' No regular assistant would call his boss that, unless he thinks you two are more than just boss and assistant," I said.

"Stop it," Reyna said.

"If I've crossed the line, that's up to what you say now," I went on.

She turned around, walked back to the Porsche, and opened the door. "Braiden, investigate all you want. My conscience is clear."

"Then why are you dodging my question?" I pressed.

Reyna got into her car, started the engine, and drove off without looking back.

The tires rolled over the stone path, crushing a cluster of newly bloomed tulips.

I stared at the crushed flowers, crouched down, and tried to straighten the broken stems.

It was useless. The roots were all snapped.

At two in the afternoon, Joey sent me the second report. It was way more detailed than I'd expected.

Korbin's investment company had seventeen transactions over three years, each ranging from five to twenty million dollars.

All the money traced back to a single account. The account was under Reyna's name.

Over three years, it added up to nearly 130 million dollars. It was drawn from Reynia Group's operating funds.

Of the 25 billion dollars I invested in Reynia Group, 130 million dollars was transferred to Korbin's company.

What was that money used for?