My Husband Chose His Ex I Became His Regret novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Aidan

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Cecilia Ross, Head of Legal for Storm Industries, is leaning back in her chair with what looks like a predator’s satisfaction. “This text message from Mark Knight contains a sufficient number of violations for criminal prosecution. Multiple counts of harassment and threats made in writing by a man who is currently under investigation by the Securities & Exchange Commission! Mark Knight has just served us up a platter of evidence for use in his prosecution and so much more.”

I’m at the head of the table, surrounded by my lawyers, Marcus, and a private investigator by the name of James Ren, who has been working diligently for the past week analyzing the finances of Knight Group. The evidence before us tells a story of financial misconduct that Mark Knight does not want told.

“Criminals charges are only the beginning,” I say. “What evidence exists, and what do we know?”

James pulls out the documents and produces a rather large and thick folder of investigative material that uses to form his answer. “Where do I begin? Knight Group is bleeding money! They’ve used creative bookkeeping contra to U.S. GAAP to cover their losses for at least the past eighteen months, if not more!”

Marcus asks, “What do you mean by creative bookkeeping?”

James refers to the documents in front of him and lists several examples of finance crimes committed by Mark Knight at Knight Group. “Embezzlement, Fraud, Use of Subsidiaries to Hide Losses, Inflating Values of Company Assets, Understating the Company’s Liabilities.” James spreads out the evidence before us as he continues, “Mark Knight has been systematically looting the company he owns so that he can maintain his lavish lifestyle.”

Leaning forward, I carefully studied and analyzed the numbers on the balance sheets, and then ask, “What is the total amount of money that Mark has taken from the company?”

James replies, “If I estimate conservatively, I believe $8 million has been misappropriated by Mark over the last two years; however, I would estimate that the total is far greater. I am still working on tracing several of the offshore bank accounts.” The room falls silent as the weight of the number sets in…$8 million. Mark did not mismanage his company’s money alone, he was stealing it.

“Does his board know.” He shrugged indifferently.

“Probably not. Either his CFO is too untrained about keeping records or involved in payoffs.”

He produced another piece of evidence for my consideration. The newest and very interesting facts indicate that since Lila divorced him, the amount of his embezzlement activities have grown exponentially!

I interrupted Patrick with, “You mean since the day after their divorce?”

He replied, “Not that quickly. But yes, since the day Lila was hired at Storm Industries, Mark started stealing

more.”

Marcus looked closely at Patrick’s timeline. “Mark clearly stole from his company to directly fund individual attacks on us.”

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And he started offering clients unsustainable discounts to steal them from you. Discounts Knight Group can’t honor. It’s a Ponzi scheme at this point. Taking new money to pay old debts.”

I sit back. Process this. Mark Knight isn’t just my enemy. He’s a criminal. A desperate one.

“The threatening text to Lila,” Cecilia says. “In context with this financial data, it’s not just harassment. It’s witness intimidation. He’s trying to silence her before she exposes more of his behavior. That elevates this to felony territory.”

“Can we prove witness intimidation?” I ask.

“With the SEC investigation already underway? Absolutely. We argue Lila’s interview and testimony are relevant to the investigation. Mark’s threats are attempts to prevent her from cooperating. That’s textbook intimidation.”

I stand. Walk to the windows. The city sprawls below, endless. Complicated. Full of people like Mark who think money and power make them untouchable.

“I want everything documented,” I say. “Every transaction. Every offshore account. Every lie to the board. I want a case so airtight that Mark Knight’s lawyers beg us to let them plead out.”

“Already working on it,” James says. “But Aidan, there’s more.”

Of course there is. “What?”

“Sienna Reeves. She’s been helping him.”

My jaw tightens. “Explain.”

“Is she still with Mark?” Marcus asked James.

“Publicly yes. But,” James then produces several surveillance photos or videos of Sienna and a known reporter having lunch together at a restaurant, Sienna having lunch with one of Mark’s lawyers, and one of Sienna and a male who isn’t Mark going to a hotel together.

“It looks like Sienna is playing her own game. By using Mark to go after Lila Stark, but at the same time, I believe that Sienna is in a position to benefit when Knight Group goes out of business.”

“Playing both sides against each other?”

“Yes. I would guess that Sienna helps Mark to do the dirty work and when Mark goes to jail, Sienna will be able to point out that she was also used by Mark and plays the role of victim to generate sympathy.

“Mark and Sienna are working together to destroy Lila, and by extension, our whole team! I ask Patricia if we can use all the recordings we have obtained through legal means. Patricia confirms we have legal permission to use recorded conversations since we obtained them from public places where the employer had no expectation of privacy. The recorded conversations provide evidence of conspiracy to defame, and will help our case tremendously.

I tell Patricia to send those recordings to the SEC and to add all of the evidence we have gathered on Mark to the same file. I want to make sure the SEC has all of the evidence it needs when we go to file all the evidence

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Chapter 60

as an anonymous complaint.

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:))

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Patricia asks me why we are submitting it anonymously. I tell her that if the SEC receives the evidence from Storm Industries, Mark’s attorneys will argue that the complaint is from a competitor, and thus it is invalid. If the complaints are filed by an anonymous whistleblower, the SEC will be forced to investigate them thoroughly, without any perceived bias.

Marcus acknowledges that filing the complaint as an anonymous whistleblower is a good idea, but cautions me to be careful. If the SEC can trace the tip back to Storm Industries, we will not be able to use it.

I ask James if he is able to send the tip through his contacts to ensure the SEC cannot trace the whistleblower back to Storm Industries. James confirms that he has former police contacts who can help him set this up, and will be able to send the tip to the SEC from inside Knight Holdings as though it came from a concerned employee.

I tell James to go ahead and do that. I ask Patricia about the criminal harassment charges we will file against Mark, and she tells me we will file them tomorrow. The DA will fast-track the charges to the courts, as they are interested in moving them through with the SEC criminal investigation.

I also confirm with Patricia that once we file the criminal harassment charges, the evidence we have against Mark becomes public, and therefore open for media scrutiny.

Let the media expose the true person that Mark Knight is – the world deserves to know!

“One more thing,” James says. “I found something else. About Lila.”

I go still. “What about Lila?”

“Mark’s been tracking her. For months. Before the interview, before everything. He hired a PI the week after she joined Storm Industries. They’ve been following her. Documenting her movements. Building a file.”

Cold rage floods through me. “He’s been stalking her.”

“Technically, it’s surveillance, not stalking. But yes. He’s been watching her. Probably looking for ammunition. Something to use against her.”

“Does Lila know?”

“I doubt it. The PI was good. Professional. But I’m better.” James pulls out more photos. Lila at coffee shops. Walking into Storm Tower. At dinner with me. “These were taken over four months. Mark has hundreds of photos.”

My hands curl into fists. Mark Knight has been watching Lila. Tracking her. Documenting her life like she’s a

target.

“Where’s the PI now?” My voice is dangerously calm.

“Fired last week. Mark can’t afford him anymore. But the file exists. And if Mark gets desperate enough…”

“He’ll use it. Release the photos. Claim she was stalking him or some other bullshit.” I turn to Patricia. “Can we get an injunction? Block him from releasing any surveillance material?”

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Chapter 60

“On what grounds?”

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“Harassment. Invasion of privacy. Emotional distress. I don’t care. Find a reason.”

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“I’ll draft something today. But Aidan. if Mark is this desperate, if he’s willing to surveil his ex-wife for months, what else is he willing to do?”

The question hangs in the air. What is Mark willing to do?

A man who’s embezzled millions. Who’s threatened Lila. Who’s coordinated a smear campaign with his girlfriend. Who’s stalked his ex-wife for months.

What line won’t he cross?

“Increase security,” I say to Marcus. “For Lila. For the building. For both of us. I want to know if Mark Knight gets within a mile of her.”

“Already done. I added security to her detail this morning after the text. She doesn’t know yet, didn’t want to alarm her.”

“Good. Keep it that way. Let her feel safe. But make sure she actually is safe.” I look at the team. “Anything else?”

“Just one thing,” James says quietly. “Why did you want me to investigate this deeply? You could have stopped at the threatening text. Filed charges. Moved on. Why dig into the finances? The embezzlement? The surveillance?”

Everyone looks at me. Waiting for the answer.

“Because I need to understand my enemy,” I say. “Mark Knight isn’t just attacking Storm Industries. He’s attacking Lila. The woman I-” I stop. Clear my throat. “The woman who’s my partner. My co-strategist. Someone important to me. And I need to know if this is just corporate warfare or something more dangerous.”

“And?” James prompts.

“And now I know. This isn’t business. This isn’t even revenge. This is obsession. Mark is obsessed with Lila. With controlling her. With punishing her for leaving. The financial crimes, the threats, the surveillance-it’s all about her.” I turn back to the windows. “Which means he’s not going to stop. Not until he’s forced to.”

“So we force him,” Marcus says.

So each of us continues with packing our belongings, Patricia is storing her paperwork for later, James is collecting evidence and Marcus is busy making follow up phone calls to his security team…

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