Chapter 9 - WHEN WESTBRIDGE BEGAN TO COLLAPSE
Westbridge entered a formal workout process with its lenders.
The company was not immediately bankrupt.
It was close enough that every creditor became cautious.
Grant lost access to discretionary company funds.
An outside restructuring adviser took control of payments above a set threshold.
That mattered because investigators discovered Grant had been using business money to pay for hotel rooms with Natalie.
Evelyn learned about the affair from financial records, not Claire.
She stopped defending him publicly after that.
Privately, she still blamed Claire.
The police investigation expanded to include attempted coercion, domestic violence, and financial-document issues. Charging decisions remained with prosecutors.
Claire focused on getting through the final weeks of pregnancy.
Her obstetrician recommended reduced stress, which felt almost sarcastic under the circumstances.
Monica drove her to appointments.
Beth finished the new trust plan.
If Claire died, assets designated for the baby would be held by an independent trustee.
Grant would have no control over them.
The beneficiary changes were lawful and properly executed before delivery.
When Claire signed, she did not feel triumphant.
She felt tired.
Grant had once been the man she expected to hold her hand in labor.
Now her legal team was designing documents to keep him away from their child’s money.
Then Natalie requested a meeting with Detective Mills.
May you like
She brought her own attorney.
And she brought a second phone Grant did not know she had kept.
Related Stories
