Chapter 2 - The Morality Clause
The silence in the penthouse was thick, broken only by the hiss of the radiator.
Aunt Marjorie stood frozen by the coat check. Uncle Henry held a silver platter of untouched hors d'oeuvres.
Richard paced the length of the Persian rug. He pulled at his bowtie, loosening it. "You locked the elevator? Have you lost your mind? That's false imprisonment."
"It's a security protocol," Eleanor replied. Her thumbnail dug another crescent moon into the leather case. "Triggered by a threat to the estate. And right now, you are the threat."
Chloe whimpered, leaning her head against the velvet sofa cushions. "El, please. It just happened. We were lonely."
"You were lonely in my Tribeca investment property?" Eleanor asked. She pulled up a document on the massive screen.
The photo of the cheating couple was replaced by a digital deed transfer. Timestamped three weeks ago.
"You transferred the title of a ten-million-dollar loft to a shell company," Eleanor read the screen aloud. "Vanguard Holdings. A breach of our marital assets."
"You're tracking my real estate transfers now?" Richard spat.
"I'm tracking my own survival." Eleanor set her glass down. The ice clinked sharply. "Section 4, Paragraph B of our prenuptial agreement. The Morality Infraction clause. In the event of documented infidelity resulting in a child, the offending party forfeits their share of the joint holding company."
Richard froze. His posture straightened. The calculation in his eyes was cold, reptilian.
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"You don't have the shares to enforce that," Richard said softly. "My father controls the board."
Before Eleanor could answer, a loud, override chime echoed from the foyer. The private elevator doors slid open.
