My Sister Stole My Wedding Dress and Married the Man I Loved for Money, Then He Was Shocked

“This is undeniable evidence of fraud,” Cameron said.

Axel’s father stood. “Is this true, Axel?” he asked.

Axel stammered, his composure slipping. “I—I was consolidating funds. It was temporary.”

The board members murmured amongst themselves; the tide was shifting. I leaned forward.

“So, Axel, tell me, if you were consolidating funds, why did you make sure all the transactions led back to Amelia?”

His face drained of color. He had no answer.

I turned to the board. “Harrington Enterprises is in a crisis. The only way forward is new leadership.”

I paused for effect. “Effective immediately, I’m proposing that Axel step down.”

Axel’s father nodded. “I second that motion.”

One by one, hands went up. Unanimous.

“Well,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

“That settles that.”

Security moved in. Axel lunged toward me, but they grabbed his arms, restraining him.

“You think you’ve won!” he spat.

I stood, meeting his glare with a slow smile. “Oh, Axel,” I murmured.

“I didn’t just win. I ended you.”

They dragged him out. After the meeting, Amelia waited outside, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked lost, broken.

“You knew,” she whispered.

“You knew all along.”

“I found out yesterday,” I admitted.

Tears welled in her eyes. “He never loved me, did he?” she asked.

I sighed. “He loved what you could do for him. That’s not the same thing.”

She swallowed hard. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I don’t know what to do.”

I handed her Christine’s card. “She’s the best fraud lawyer in the city. Call her. Fix this.”

She looked at the card, then back at me. “And us?” she asked.

I hesitated. “We’re not there yet.”

She nodded, wiping her eyes. “I understand.”

As I walked away, my phone buzzed with a text from Cameron. “Now that the board’s handled, let’s talk about the gala. I have a feeling Axel’s not done making a scene.”

I smirked. “Oh, I was counting on it.”

The first time I walked into the boardroom as CEO, I expected whispers, stares, and resistance. But what I found was something different: respect.

The board members, most of whom had voted Axel out just days ago, sat in attentive silence as I took my seat at the head of the table.

Bruno had prepared briefing documents, Cameron had finalized the transition plan, and I had spent the last 24 hours ensuring I was ready.

This was no longer about revenge; it was about rebuilding. “Let’s get started,” I said, my voice steady.

“We have a lot of work to do.”

The meeting ran like clockwork, every department reporting back, plans being structured. The damage Axel had left behind wouldn’t be easy to fix, but I wasn’t here for easy.

I was here to win. Afterward, Christine was waiting for me in my office, her expression unreadable.

“You need to see this,” she said, placing a file on my desk.

I flipped it open—bank records, testimonies, more victims.

“This isn’t just about Harrington Enterprises,” she continued.

“Axel’s been pulling this for years across multiple companies, and we just found more people he scammed.”

I exhaled slowly. “How many?” I asked.

“At least 23 confirmed.” she said.

I leaned back, absorbing the weight of it. He wasn’t just a liar or a cheater or a fraud; he was a predator.

A knock at the door interrupted us. Cameron stepped inside, nodding at Christine before turning to me.

“You’ve got someone you need to meet.” he said.

He led me down the hallway to the conference room. Inside, a woman sat with her hands folded tightly in her lap.

“This is Sarah,” Cameron said.

“My sister.”

She looked up, her eyes sharp but weary. “She was one of Axel’s first victims.” Cameron said.

I pulled out a chair across from her. “Tell me everything.” I said.

And she did. The same script, just different details.

Axel had made her believe they were in love, had convinced her to put her name on business loans, and had left her in financial ruin when it all collapsed.

“I thought I was the only one,” she admitted, her voice hollow.

I glanced at Christine’s file. “You weren’t.” I said.

She swallowed. “So, what now?” she asked.

I didn’t hesitate. “We fix this. All of it.”

Later that afternoon, Amelia showed up at my office. I let her in, watching her fidget with the hem of her sleeve.

“I met with the fraud lawyers,” she said, her voice quiet.

“They think I can clear my name if I cooperate.”

I nodded. “Good.”

She hesitated. “I don’t know how to make this right, Ellie.”

“You can’t,” I said simply.

“But you can try.”

I slid a folder toward her. She frowned, opening it. “What’s this?” she asked.

“A job offer,” I said.

“Director of the Victim’s Advocacy Department.”