"He attacked me!"
Three seconds later on the recording, Arthur walked out of the study, holding his hands up in confusion and shock. He didn't touch her. He didn't step within five feet of her. He simply stood there as Daniel sprinted into the frame.
The video paused on a frozen frame: Lin tearing her own blouse with a calculating, icy expression on her face.
The hallway fell dead silent.
Act III: The Price of Treason
Chapter 5: The Mask Shatters
Daniel stared at the phone screen. His hand holding the device did not shake, but the color had completely drained from his cheeks.
Slowly, deliberately, Daniel lowered the phone and turned to face Lin.
The vulnerable, hysterical woman who had been crying into his chest seconds ago was gone. Lin backed away three steps, her back striking the marble wall beneath a portrait of Daniel's grandfather. Her brown eyes were cold, sharp, and narrow.
"Daniel..." Lin began, her voice dropping its soft tone and becoming flat and clinical. "You have to understand the bigger picture. Your father was blocking the merger. He was holding this company backโ"