Chapter 14 - *Spousal Equity Transfer and Survivorship.
The clause stated that on the third anniversary of our marriage—which was midnight on the day of the stabbing—twenty-five percent of Julian’s Class-A voting shares in Vance Capital would irrevocably vest in my name, granting me an automatic seat on the Board of Directors and equal veto power over all corporate asset liquidations.
Furthermore, if the marriage dissolved through divorce, those shares remained mine.
*Except in the event of my death prior to the vesting date.*
If I died before midnight on October 24th, Julian retained one hundred percent of the equity, and any marital assets defaulted entirely to a private trust controlled solely by him.
“The thallium was too slow,” I whispered, the brutal clarity of the plot laying bare before me. “The brake line didn't work. The third anniversary was Tuesday at midnight. If I lived to see Wednesday morning, I owned a quarter of his empire. I would have had full access to the corporate ledgers.”
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“And that,” Evelyn said, tapping the mahogany surface of the table, “is the catalyst. Julian didn't stab you in a fit of passionate defense for Selena Cole. He stabbed you because at midnight, his corporate fraud was going to collide with your legal authority. He had twelve hours left to become a grieving widower, or face complete financial annihilation.”
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