Chapter 7 - The Legal Shield
Thursday morning, I hired Arthur Pendelton, one of the most ruthless civil litigation and fraud attorneys in the city. Sitting in his mahogany-paneled conference room, I laid out the visual map of the fraudulent accounts, the police report, the hospital records for my burn, and the attempted vineyard charge.
"This is extraordinary," Arthur said, adjusting his glasses as he reviewed the evidence. "Your parents have exposed themselves to massive civil liability, not to mention criminal charges. What is your objective here, Elena? Do you want a quiet settlement, or do you want to scorch the earth?"
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"I want them completely severed from my life," I said. "I want every fraudulent account closed, I want full restitution for every dollar stolen over the last seven years, and I want a restraining order preventing any of them from coming near my home or workplace. And I will not interfere with the district attorney's criminal prosecution."
Arthur smiled—a cold, sharp smile that made me glad he was on my side. "We start with a comprehensive Cease and Desist, paired with a formal demand for preservation of all electronic evidence. We will notify their banks of the fraudulent transfers, which will trigger internal fraud reviews on their personal accounts. By the time we’re done, they won't be able to get a credit card for a gas station."
