He Chose Her Joke, I Chose His Ruin Chapter 08

He Chose Her Joke, I Chose His Ruin Chapter 08

I opened my eyes.

“Approved by Adrian?”

“Yes.”

“Through Vale Group’s official accounts?”

“No. Through a shell company under his personal control.”

I smiled. Fate.

Celeste acted entitled because she thought the Shaw family was welded to the Vales-untouchable.

Adrian indulged her because he assumed I’d never audit him.

They forgot where I came from.

My background lies in risk control.

A single glance over cash-flow statements let me spot every hidden irregularity.

“Complete the evidentiary chain,” I said.

“Deliver it to him at the board meeting tomorrow.”

Ava’s eyes lit up. “Understood.”

At 3 a.m., Adrian began flooding my phone with calls.

I didn’t pick up.

He kept dialing. Then texts.

[Elena, I handled things poorly tonight. Celeste knows she was wrong. I’ll make her apologize publicly. Don’t

pull the plug on the project.]

I deleted it.

Then Celeste messaged. Not an apology. A threat.

[Elena, don’t think knowing a few lawyers makes you scary. My father says Shaw family won’t let you run

wild. Ruin my reputation, and I’ll make sure you never work in New York finance again.]

I replied: [Eat breakfast. You’ll be busy today.]

She didn’t respond. She most likely failed to catch my meaning.

At 7 a.m., Starlight Capital released its official opening statement:

Immediate termination of all remaining investments in Vale Group’s New Energy Park.

8:30 a.m. Vale Group’s stock opened trading in a steep free fall.

9:00 a.m. Media broke the story of the mountaintop hotel incident. Celeste Shaw, named in criminal

complaints for illegal confinement and aggravated assault.

9:15 a.m. Financial outlets reported liquidity crises at Shaw Cultural City.

10:00 a.m. Emergency board meeting.

I walked into the conference room in a black suit, her bandages still peeking out from beneath the suit.

All eyes turned to me.

Adrian sat at the head of the table. One night had aged him years.

Seeing me, he stood. “Elena.”

Softer than last night.

Too late.

I took the seat opposite him. “Mr. Vale, shall we begin?”

His face stiffened.

Mr. Vale.

I used to call him Adrian-even in the office.

Now, two syllables built a wall between us.

Chairman Vale, seated at the far end, scowled. “Elena, I’ve been briefed on last night. Celeste was immature.

Adrian made mistakes. But Vale Group and Starlight Capital have years of partnership. Don’t let personal feelings jeopardize business.”

I looked at him evenly. “Mr. Vale, last night wasn’t a personal matter. It was a criminal case.”

Silence.

The chairman’s frown deepened. “Are you set on casting the incident in such a criminal light?”

“It’s the truth.”

I slid a file across the table. “I’m also here regarding more than divestment.”

Adrian stared at the document, dread flickering in his eyes. “What is this?”

“Forensic report on irregular fund flows in the New Energy Park over the past twelve months.”

“Eight hundred million in project liquidity was funneled via three shell companies into Shaw Cultural City.”

“Approved by you.”

Adrian’s face went white. “Elena, you audited me?”

“Mr. Vale, as the Group’s Joint Risk Control Officer, I audited the project. Uncovering your improper fund

diversion was merely incidental discovery.”

Board members flipped through the pages. Their expressions darkened.

Someone demanded, “Why wasn’t this brought before the board?”

“Shaw Cultural City had already landed on every major bank’s risk watchlist.-why did you funnel capital

there?”

“Do you realize you’ve endangered the entire energy portfolio?”

Adrian forced calm. “Short-term bridge financing. Shaw family will repay.”

I tapped the table. “They can’t.”

“Construction on their cultural complex was suspended the prior week. Contractor defaults, bank collections, land payment breaches-concurrent failures.”

“Mr. Vale, your eight hundred million is almost certainly unrecoverable.”

The room erupted.

Chairman Vale’s face turned from dark to purple. “Adrian! Is this true?”

Adrian opened his mouth, but no defense came.

He had none.

The evidence was airtight.

I never fought battles I couldn’t win.

Chairman Vale slammed his palm down. “Idiot!”

Adrian turned to me, hatred finally breaking through. “Elena, are you satisfied now?”

I met his gaze. “I didn’t ruin you. You chose this.”

The meeting lasted three hours.

Per the final resolution: Adrian is suspended from all project approval powers.

Special investigation committee formed.

Interim risk management of the New Energy Park transferred to my team.

As Adrian passed me leaving the room, he hissed, “Happy?”

I looked up. “This is only the beginning.”

His hands clenched. “Elena, you’re ruthless.”

I smiled faintly. “Learned from the best.”

He froze.

I turned and walked out.

Outside Vale Group Tower, journalists swarmed. Camera flashes strobed nonstop.

“Elena, is your engagement to Mr. Vale officially cancelled?”

“Was the hotel incident real?”

“Is Celeste Shaw facing criminal charges?”

“Is Starlight Capital’s withdrawal retaliation for personal reasons?”

Ava and security formed a barrier.

I could’ve stayed silent.

Instead, I stopped and faced the lenses.

“First, Yes, the engagement is terminated.”

“Second, Last night’s events are all relevant evidence is filed with law enforcement. I trust the legal process.”

“Third, Starlight Capital’s divestment stems from material financial risks at Vale Group-unrelated to

personal grievances.”

“Fourth, I do not accept harm disguised as jokes.”

I got into the car.

The clip went viral within minutes.

Celeste Shaw’s name trended alongside mine.

Netizens dug up her past “pranks”, locking a bridesmaid in a freezer for ten minutes, spilling wine on a classmate at a birthday party, hiding an assistant’s allergy medication and forcing her to beg.

Every time, she’d laughed. “Just a joke. Don’t be so sensitive.”

This time, no one was laughing.