Chapter 4
Across town, Claire sat in a private booth at a dimly lit, exclusive speakeasy that opened early only for its most elite members. She sipped a sparkling water, her posture perfect, her face an unreadable mask. Across from her sat Marcus Vance, a ruthless corporate attorney known for dismantling empires.
"That was quite the theatrical exit," Marcus noted, reviewing a file on the table. "My sources inside Moretti Holdings say the lobby footage is already circulating on encrypted chats."
"Let them talk," Claire said softly, setting her glass down. "It was necessary to establish the narrative. Vincent needs to feel the pressure publicly before he feels it legally."
"And the father?" Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow. "Julian reached out to you. That was unexpected."
"Julian thinks he's using me to keep Vincent in line," Claire smiled, a cold, sharp movement. "He told me about London because he wants me to threaten a divorce so he can leverage it over Vincent. He wants his son terrified of losing the CEO title."
"So you played into his hand?"
"No, Marcus. I played him," Claire corrected. "Julian gave me the ammunition. Now I'm going to shoot them both. Are the Cayman accounts verified?"
May you like
"They are," Marcus nodded. "If we leak this, Vincent goes down for embezzlement, and Julian goes down for covering it up."
"Good," Claire murmured. "Draft the papers. But don't file them yet. I want them to bleed a little first."
