“I know who you are.”

Then he looked at me.

“How do you two know each other?”

Nathan glanced at me with amusement.

“Audrey is my wife.”

For once, Mitchell had no immediate response.

The Career He Used to Laugh At

Brielle recovered first.

“You married Nathan Brooks?”

“Three years ago.”

Mitchell looked at Maisie.

“And she’s…?”

Maisie answered before I could.

“Their daughter.”

Nathan and I had welcomed Maisie into our family after first caring for her through a long-term foster placement. Eventually, we completed the adoption.

To us, there was nothing complicated about it.

She was simply our daughter.

Mitchell forced a smile.

“Well, congratulations.”

Then his expression changed again.

He had remembered something.

“Alderstone is reviewing my company.”

Nathan nodded.

“It is.”

Mitchell looked from him to me.

“Did you know that?”

I did not need to answer.

Nathan did.

“Audrey leads our transaction compliance team.”

Brielle stopped smiling.

Mitchell stared at me.

“You?”

“Yes.”

After our divorce, I had moved to Albany and joined an investment advisory group as senior regulatory counsel.

Three years later, Alderstone recruited me.

During my second year there, I identified a complicated vendor arrangement during an acquisition review that could have created serious financial and regulatory problems for the firm.

The transaction was revised before closing.

After that, I was promoted.

Eventually, I became a partner and took responsibility for a large portion of Alderstone’s transaction-risk reviews.

The work Mitchell once called boring paperwork had become the reason people trusted me with decisions involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

What Mitchell Didn’t Know About His Deal

Mitchell lowered his voice.

“Audrey, we should talk privately.”

“Not here.”

“This concerns my company.”

“Which is exactly why we shouldn’t discuss it at a family wedding.”

His eyes narrowed.

For the first time, he understood that my connection to Alderstone was not simply that I had married its founder.

I was part of the professional team examining Harrow Digital Defense.

For six weeks, my department had been reviewing financial statements, vendor contracts, revenue projections, and internal reporting.

At first, nothing seemed especially unusual.

Then one analyst noticed recurring payments to several consulting companies.

The amounts were remarkably consistent.

The descriptions were vague.

Some vendors appeared to have very few employees.

Several addresses led to shared office facilities rather than normal operating locations.

We expanded the review.

More questions appeared.

Certain invoices described projects that could not easily be confirmed.

Some internal revenue numbers did not align cleanly with figures presented in financing materials.

There were also relationships between outside vendors and people connected to senior leadership that required further explanation.

Nothing about my divorce had created those questions.

The records had.

His Smile Finally Disappeared

Mitchell moved closer.

“Whatever happened between us personally cannot affect this deal.”

I looked directly at him.

“It hasn’t.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Good. Then you’re going to recommend approval.”

“No.”

Brielle’s expression froze.

Mitchell stared at me.

“What did you say?”

“I won’t recommend proceeding under the current information.”

“Why?”

I glanced toward Maisie.

Nathan understood.

“Come on, kiddo,” he said. “I heard there’s a chocolate fountain somewhere in this building.”

Maisie immediately followed him.

When they were far enough away, I turned back to Mitchell.

“Because some of the financial records don’t support the picture your company has presented.”

His face lost some of its color.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Then your finance team and counsel should have no difficulty answering the review questions.”

“Audrey, listen to me.”

“Not tonight.”

I started to walk away.

His voice followed me.

“Is this because of Brielle?”

I stopped.

That question almost made me sad.

After five years, he still believed every choice I made somehow revolved around him.

I turned around.

“Mitchell, I stopped organizing my life around what you did a very long time ago.”

Then I walked back toward my family.

Monday Morning Changed Everything

At 8:30 Monday morning, Alderstone formally paused negotiations with Harrow Digital Defense.

The decision was made by the investment committee after reviewing the documentation gathered during due diligence.

I had disclosed my previous marriage to Mitchell from the first day his company appeared on our potential investment list.

Because of that history, I did not participate in any final vote where my personal relationship could create a conflict.

I wanted the process to be clean.

No revenge.