Chapter 5 - The Web Tightens
The week that followed was a masterclass in psychological warfare. I began "cleaning up" his company by isolating him from his inner circle. I convinced his board that his right-hand man was leaking data, and I fed Jared forged documents that made him believe his own lawyers were turning on him.
I wasn't just gaslighting him; I was dismantling his reality.
At night, I sent him anonymous, encrypted messages containing snippets of the audio recording—just a second of his voice saying, 'I don't care what excuse you use.'
I watched him from my office, which I had insisted be located right across from his. He stopped sleeping. He started yelling at Courtney in the hallways. The chemistry between them, once fueled by shared greed, turned into a toxic cycle of blame.
Courtney suspected me, of course. She cornered me in the breakroom on Friday. "Who are you really, Elena?" she hissed.
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"I'm the person who holds the keys to your future, Courtney," I said, picking up my bag. "And right now? You’re losing your grip."
I walked out of the building, the cool evening air hitting my face. I had him cornered. The audit was nearing completion, the board was ready to revolt, and Jared was so paranoid he was starting to suspect his own reflection. I wasn't just going to take his money; I was going to make sure he lost everything he thought he had stolen from me.
