She Choose Her Ex Over Me

CHAPTER 7 THE FILE OF LIES Part A

The confidential file landed on Fred's desk with a dull thud, and the sound seemed unnaturally loud in the otherwise silent office.

Chris didn't bother to sit. Instead, he remained standing across the desk, his expression darker than Fred had ever seen it. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of Lagos shimmered against the night sky, but neither man spared the breathtaking view a second glance.

The weight of the moment pressed heavily on the room because they both understood that the conversation ahead would change everything.

Fred rested one hand on the thick brown folder without opening it. Instead, he lifted his eyes to Chris. "You've never looked this angry."

Chris let out a hollow laugh. "I'm not angry."

"No?"

"I'm furious."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them before Fred finally opened the folder.

The first page contained nothing but photographs. They showed Tony leaving luxury hotels, shaking hands with influential politicians, boarding private jets, and smiling confidently for the cameras. Every image reinforced the polished, successful persona he had spent years constructing.

Chris folded his arms across his chest. "Keep going."

Fred turned the page without changing his expression. Although his face remained calm, his eyes moved steadily across the documents.

The file contained bank statements, loan agreements, default notices, and private lending contracts. Together, they painted a picture that was completely different from the wealthy businessman Tony claimed to be.

Fred paused when his eyes landed on a financial summary.

Outstanding Debt: $482,000,000.

He continued reading.

The next section detailed failed foreign investments. After that came reports showing that three of Tony's companies had been operating at a loss for nearly two years, followed by mortgage records and personal guarantees that were rapidly approaching their expiration dates.

Chris watched him closely. "So?"

Fred closed the folder halfway before answering. "He's drowning."

Chris gave a single nod. "He's been drowning for months."

Fred leaned back in his chair as the pieces began falling into place. "The expensive cars?"

"They're leased."

"And the penthouse?"

"It's mortgaged."

"What about the overseas expansion?"

A bitter smile crossed Chris's face. "Most of it was fabricated."

Fred lowered his gaze to the documents again. "So the empire isn't real."

Chris shook his head. "No. It never was."

He walked toward the window before speaking again. "The funny thing is, most people only see confidence."

Fred quietly finished the thought. "They never bother to look beneath it."

"Exactly."

Fred reopened the file, and with every page he read, the truth became clearer. Tony wasn't wealthy at all. He was a desperate man desperately trying to maintain an illusion. "Who financed him for this long?" Fred asked.

Chris shrugged. "Private lenders."

"And now?"

"They want every naira back."

Fred turned another page, where collection notices, legal threats, and increasingly aggressive emails demanded immediate repayment. Every deadline was drawing dangerously close.

His eyes narrowed. "So he needs cash."

Chris returned to the desk and tapped a particular document with one finger. "He doesn't just need cash. He needs a company."

Fred lowered his eyes to the report.

The document outlined a precise timeline that tracked Tony's return to Lagos, his sudden interest in Daniella, his meetings with investment firms, and his carefully orchestrated public appearances beside her. Every move had been documented with meticulous detail.

Chris spoke in a low voice. "You know what bothers me?"

Fred looked up but said nothing. "Tony didn't come back and accidentally ran into Daniella."

"What are you saying?"

Chris slid another document toward him. "Our investigators checked his travel records."

Fred studied the page carefully.

Tony had entered Nigeria three months before he ever contacted Daniella. For three months, he had remained in the shadows, watching, waiting, and preparing for the perfect moment to make his move.

"He knew exactly when to appear," Chris said.

Fred's jaw tightened. "So meeting her wasn't spontaneous."

"No."

"It was planned."

Chris nodded slowly. "Every single step."

The room grew quiet once more as Fred stared at the timeline. One memory after another flashed through his mind: Tony's dramatic return, the flowers, the dinner invitation, the carefully engineered encounters, and even the incident with the wine. None of it had happened by chance.

Tony hadn't been reacting to circumstances. He had been directing the entire performance from the very beginning.

Fred closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "When someone plans something this carefully, love isn't the reason."

Chris answered with a grim smile. "Now turn to the last section."

Fred flipped deeper into the folder, where a bold heading immediately caught his attention.

Corporate Acquisitions.

His expression shifted as he continued reading. The pages listed share purchases, silent investments, holding companies, and offshore accounts. Then he reached the final report.

For the first time that evening, his hand froze.

He read the page once. Then he read it again. Finally, he read it a third time, as though hoping the words would somehow change. His breathing slowed almost imperceptibly.

Chris watched him in silence. "I know."

Fred slowly lifted his head. "Those companies..."

"They're Daniella's biggest competitors."

Fred lowered his eyes back to the report.

According to the investigation, Tony had secretly acquired significant shares in three rival companies during the past year. Those companies stood to profit enormously if Daniella's business weakened.

A cold realization settled over him.

Tony had never intended to strengthen Daniella's company. He wanted unrestricted access to its financial records, investor network, and long-term strategies. If he couldn't seize control of the business, he would destroy it from within and profit from its collapse.

Fred closed the file with deliberate care. "He never came back for Daniella."

Chris slowly shook his head. "No."

"He came back for control."