Chapter 3 - The Devil’s Bargain
The door to my hospital room swung open before I could safely eject the memory card.
A tall man in a tailored suit stepped inside, carrying a sleek leather briefcase.
It was Arthur Vance, the Sterling family’s ruthless corporate attorney.
"Good evening," he said, pulling up a chair uninvited.
"The family is prepared to be very generous regarding tonight’s unfortunate misunderstanding."
He opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of pristine legal documents.
"Julian will agree to an uncontested divorce," Arthur stated flatly.
"You will keep your Santa Monica townhouse, and they will deposit two million dollars into your account by tomorrow morning."
He slid a heavy gold pen across my rolling tray table.
"All you have to do is sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement and tell the police you heavily edited the nanny cam footage."
I stared at the paperwork, disgusted by how easily they thought they could buy my silence.
"And if I refuse?" I asked, keeping my voice dangerously low.
Arthur’s polite smile vanished, replaced by a dead, soulless stare.
"Then the Sterlings will ensure you lose everything," he threatened.
"Your job, your home, your reputation, and perhaps even your life."
He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a menacing whisper.
"People have fatal accidents all the time, my dear."
My blood ran ice cold as I thought about Victoria drowning in that dark lake.
I looked at the pen, then looked directly into the lawyer's eyes.
"Tell Eleanor she can take her two million dollars and choke on it," I snapped.
"I am pressing maximum charges, and I am not dropping a damn thing."
Arthur slowly stood up, snapping his briefcase shut.
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"You have just made the biggest mistake of your short life," he hissed.
He walked out, leaving me alone with the terrifying reality of what I was up against.
