Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Boardroom
Three days after the disastrous wedding, the storm had made the front page of every major newspaper in Illinois.
“WEDDING BELLS TO PRISON CELLS: The Bellamy Corporate Scandal Shakes Chicago Elite.”
Inside the towering, glass-walled boardroom on the fortieth floor of the Marzano Tower, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the chaos of the ballroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking, panoramic view of the Chicago skyline bathed in golden autumn sunlight.
Simone sat at the edge of a massive mahogany conference table, nursing a cup of proper, high-end espresso that Julian had insisted on having delivered from a private Italian roaster. Her hand was still wrapped in a neat white bandage, but the throbbing pain had faded to a dull ache.
Across the table sat Walter, looking healthier and more vibrant than he had in months. The crushing weight of the corporate theft had been lifted from his shoulders, and with Julian’s legal team backing him, the recovery of Bellamy Engineering was already underway.
The heavy oak door swung open, and Julian walked in, carrying a fresh stack of legal documents and corporate restructuring deeds.
“The forensic audit is complete,” Julian announced, tossing the folder onto the center of the table. “Matteo Vale’s personal assets have been entirely seized to cover preliminary damages. Deline is currently facing multiple felony counts of grand larceny and document falsification. Her defense attorney has already stopped returning her calls.”
Helen Bellamy, who had spent the last three days alternating between begging Simone for forgiveness and trying to salvage what remained of her social standing, was nowhere to be found—having retreated to a quiet estate in Florida to lick her wounds.
Walter tapped the surface of the table twice with his left hand, a look of profound gratitude on his face. He looked at Julian, then at Simone, and deliberately pushed a specific document across the polished wood toward the billionaire investor.
Julian glanced down at the paper, raising an eyebrow. It was a partnership proposal—giving the Marzano Group a controlling stake in Bellamy Engineering’s upcoming smart-infrastructure contracts, but keeping Simone firmly in place as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.
“Your father is an exceptionally sharp businessman,” Julian noted, looking across the table at Simone. “He’s essentially trying to ensure we remain professionally entangled for the next ten years.”
Simone rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Dad has always known how to spot a good investment. Even if it occasionally involves flying fruit.”
Walter let out a low, rumbling chuckle from his chest, his eyes crinkling at the corners. With a slow, deliberate movement, he pressed a button on his tablet, and the synthetic voice spoke for him one last time today:
“Take care of my daughter, Mr. Marzano. She’s much tougher than she looks.”
May you like
Julian’s gaze locked onto Simone’s, steady and intense. “I think I figured that out the moment she threw coffee at my chest.”
Walter offered a satisfied nod, unlatched the brake on his wheelchair with his left hand, and smoothly wheeled himself out of the boardroom, closing the heavy glass door behind him with a soft click, leaving the two of them entirely alone in the soaring penthouse suite.
