Chapter 6 - THE DEAL BEHIND THE AFFAIR
By early afternoon, Lucia was no longer thinking about infidelity. Infidelity was intimate, humiliating, and painful, but the corporate documents now suggested something larger: Marcus may have been preparing to transfer the company’s most valuable intellectual property before the audit could fully begin.
Lucia called Naomi from a restricted hospital conference room. “There’s a possible patent sale.” Naomi swore softly. “Who told you?” “Valeria.” “Do you believe her?” “I believe she’s scared.”
“That isn’t the same thing.” “I know.” Naomi immediately contacted the company’s outside counsel while Lucia stayed on the line. Within twenty minutes they had confirmation that Marcus had circulated draft materials for an “exclusive strategic licensing arrangement” through a subsidiary no one on the board recognized.
The proposed transaction was scheduled for the next morning. Lucia stared at the speakerphone. “How could he authorize that?” “He may not have been able to,” Naomi said. “But if he convinced the buyer he had authority, he could create a legal disaster.”
The company lawyer joined the call. “We are issuing formal notice that Marcus has no authority to bind the company. We’ll alert the patent counsel and the relevant banks.” “Do it,” Lucia said. Her voice sounded calm.
Her hands were not. She thought back over the last year: Marcus becoming unusually secretive about investor calls, his sudden insistence that Lucia attend fewer board meetings because she was “too busy with surgery,” the way he had mocked her for asking basic financial questions.
Every memory rearranged itself. She had believed the affair was the betrayal. Now it looked like only one room inside a much larger house. When Lucia returned to Marcus’s room, two members of the hospital’s administrative staff were waiting outside.
“Conflict issue?” she asked. The chief medical officer nodded. “We need to document that you did not provide direct surgical care to your husband.” “I didn’t.” “And that another attending managed his case independently.”
“Yes.” The administrator softened. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.” Lucia almost laughed. Dealing with this sounded like a scheduling problem. Inside the room, Marcus had learned about the suspension. His phone was gone, likely collected with his belongings, but Teresa had apparently given him hers.
He held it with a trembling hand. “You called the board.” “I activated a process you agreed to years ago.” “You told them about Valeria.”
“I told them about financial irregularities.” “Same thing.” “No.” His eyes narrowed. “You think you’re so righteous.” Lucia closed the door behind her. “I just saved the life of the woman you were sleeping with. Don’t lecture me about righteousness.”
Marcus looked away. For a moment, shame touched his face. Then it was gone. “You poisoned her against me.” “She spoke to me voluntarily.” “What did she say?” Lucia watched him carefully.
“That depends. What are you afraid she said?” His jaw tightened. “You have no idea what’s happening.” “Then explain it.” Marcus lowered his voice. “The company is running out of time. We need capital. The board is slow.
You don’t care because surgery pays your bills.” “The company has twelve months of runway.” “On paper.” “So the answer was to move money through your girlfriend’s LLC?” His face hardened. “It wasn’t like that.”
“What was it like?” “I was positioning funds for a private deal.” “Without board approval.” “The board would have killed it.” “Maybe because it was illegal.” “You don’t understand business.” Lucia stared at him. “I understand signatures.”
That silenced him. She stepped closer. “Who is the buyer?” Marcus looked at the monitor. “No one.” “Valeria says a deal was supposed to close tomorrow.” His eyes flicked toward her. That was enough.
Lucia leaned in. “If you transferred company patents without authorization, the board will stop it. If you moved money improperly, the auditors will find it. If you lied to Valeria, she will tell her own story.
If you lied to me, that is already over.” Marcus’s breathing accelerated. “You’re enjoying this.” Lucia’s face went still. “No.” “Don’t pretend.” “I would give anything for this not to be happening.” “You filed three weeks ago.”
“Yes.” “You were waiting for me to fail.” “I was waiting for you to tell the truth.” The door opened. Teresa stood there with Daniela behind her. Marcus immediately softened his expression. “Baby.” Daniela did not enter.
“Dad.” He opened his hand toward her. “Come here.” She looked at Lucia first. Marcus saw it. His face tightened. “Why are you looking at her?” Daniela froze. Lucia stepped between them emotionally, if not physically.
“She can look at whoever she wants.” Marcus’s tone sharpened. “I’m talking to my daughter.” “And she is deciding whether she feels comfortable coming in.” Teresa whispered, “Marcus, stop.” He stared at his mother. “You’re taking her side now?”
Teresa’s face changed. For the first time in Lucia’s memory, Teresa did not retreat from her son’s anger. “I’m taking Daniela’s.” The room went quiet. Marcus gave a bitter laugh. “Unbelievable.”
Daniela’s eyes filled with tears. Lucia turned to her. “You don’t have to stay.” The girl nodded. “Can I see Valeria now?” Marcus’s head snapped up. “No.” Daniela looked at him. “Why?” “Because I said so.”
May you like
The old pattern was visible now. Control disguised as protection. Teresa stepped closer to her granddaughter. “Daniela, come with me.” Marcus stared at his mother in disbelief. Teresa met his eyes. “You almost died last night,” she said.
“Maybe use the second chance to become someone worth coming home to.” Then she took Daniela’s hand and walked out. Lucia remained just long enough to see that the words had reached him. Whether they would change him was another question.
