Chapter 3 - The Trap Door Closes
Thirty minutes after the wedding ceremony ended, Gregory’s mobile phone began ringing incessantly. Standing on the marble steps, still holding his new bride's waist, he answered. It was his chief financial officer, his voice trembling so violently it was audible even through the speaker.
"Gregory, where are you? The bank just executed an immediate freeze on all corporate accounts and personal credit lines."
Gregory’s smile evaporated. "What are you talking about? The divorce was finalized an hour ago. Madeline signed the release!"
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"She signed the marital property release," Arthur Pendelton’s voice suddenly cut in—not from the phone, but from behind them. Pendelton walked down the steps holding a stamped duplicate of the file he had submitted directly to the state financial tribunal minutes after the decree was signed.
"You see, Gregory," Pendelton stated calmly, "the marital release covered assets held under your name. However, Clause 14 of your grandfather's original trust agreement explicitly states that if you remarry within five years of a corporate restructuring without unanimous board consent, full voting control and collateral rights revert instantly to the primary living heir—Madeline."
