Chapter 4 - The Exposure
The boardroom of Sterling Holdings was immaculate, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the sprawling city. It was the neutral ground Sarah Jenkins had selected for our mandatory emergency deposition.
Sitting across the long glass table was Eleanor Vance, looking regal in a tailored emerald suit, her silver hair styled to perfection. Beside her sat Ethan, who looked increasingly ragged, and a team of five corporate lawyers. On my side sat Sarah and myself, dressed in a sharp black blazer, my short, cropped hair combed back neatly.
Eleanor laid her hands flat on the glass. "Let's cut the theatrics, Maya. We received your little audit report. It's cute. But a financial crunch doesn't negate the fact that we have three separate character witnesses willing to testify to your volatile temper and unstable mental state. If this goes to a public trial, the Sterling name will be dragged through the mud. The press will have a field day with the 'Thug Countess' of real estate."
"Character witnesses?" Sarah Jenkins chuckled, opening her laptop. "You mean the two disgruntled former employees my office discovered you paid off last Tuesday? Or perhaps Ethan's college friend who suddenly received a generous 'consulting fee' from your firm?"
Eleanor didn't blink. "Prove it in court, Sarah. In the meantime, the court of public opinion moves much faster. We've already scheduled a live televised interview for tonight. Ethan will be showing his injuries and detailing the abuse he suffered at your hands during the honeymoon."
Ethan nodded, trying to look like a victim. "The world is going to see what you really are, Maya."
"I think it's time we show them what you really are," I said calmly.
I tapped a button on my tablet, linking it to the massive presentation screen on the boardroom wall.
"We didn't just record the kitchen fight, Eleanor," I stated. "We also tracked the digital footprint of the forged prenuptial agreement your son tried to slip into my travel documents before we left for Hawaii."
The screen flickered, displaying a clear, high-definition video feed. But it wasn't from my apartment. It was a security feed from the administrative offices of Vance Enterprises, dated three weeks before our wedding.
The video showed Ethan sitting at a desk alongside a well-known notary public. He was practicing my signature on a light-box, tracing it onto a document that would have automatically transferred 50% of my inherited properties to his name upon marriage.
Ethan’s face went completely white. He slammed his hands on the table, standing up. "Where did you get that? That's corporate espionage! That's illegal!"
"Actually, it's public record now," Sarah Jenkins intervened smoothly. "The notary you used was arrested yesterday afternoon on unrelated fraud charges. To cut a deal with the District Attorney, he handed over his digital backup drives. Guess whose names were at the top of his list?"
The lawyers sitting beside Eleanor began frantically whispering among themselves. One of them leaned over and closed his folder, shaking his head.
"This is a summary of the charges being filed against both of you at 4:00 PM today," I said, sliding a document across the table to Eleanor.
DefendantCharges FiledPotential PenaltyEthan VanceFelony Domestic Assault, Attempted Extortion, Grand Theft Auto (for trying to liquidate my father's car), and Forgery.8 to 15 YearsEleanor VanceConspiracy to Commit Extortion, Corporate Fraud, and Subornation of Perjury.5 to 10 Years
Eleanor looked down at the table, the emerald green of her suit suddenly making her look incredibly pale. For the first time since I had met her, the mask of absolute control completely shattered.
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"You... you would destroy our family name over this?" Eleanor whispered, her voice finally shaking.
"You tried to use a leather belt to teach me my place in my own home, Eleanor," I said, leaning forward, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Your family didn't just try to take my money. You tried to break my spirit. You don't get to walk away from that."
