Chapter 6 - The Mistress Flees
Vanessa Croft thought she had hit the jackpot with Julian. She believed the lies he spun about his wicked, greedy wife who was hoarding billions while he worked himself to the bone.
When the FBI froze Julian’s assets, Vanessa’s luxury world collapsed overnight. Her credit cards were declined at high-end boutiques. The leasing company repossessed the Mercedes from the valet stand of her penthouse.
But the real terror set in when she received a subpoena from both the FBI and my legal team, compelling her to testify regarding the stolen funds Julian had funneled to her.
I arranged a quiet deposition in Mr. Vance’s conference room. I attended in person, wearing a high-necked silk scarf to cover my healing grafts. Vanessa sat across the table, looking incredibly small without her designer clothes and heavy makeup. Her hands shook as she held a paper cup of water.
“Miss Croft,” Mr. Vance began, his voice dangerously polite. “You are currently in possession of over four hundred thousand dollars in stolen assets. The federal government is preparing to indict you as a co-conspirator in Julian Sterling’s fraud ring.”
“I didn't know!” Vanessa sobbed, mascara running down her cheeks. “He told me the money was his! He told me his company was booming!”
“Ignorance is not a defense against federal racketeering charges,” Vance noted dryly.
I leaned forward, locking eyes with the weeping girl. “Julian used my grandfather’s money to buy your affection. He was planning to lock me in an asylum to fund your lifestyle. Now, he’s facing twenty years in federal prison. And if you cover for him, you’ll be sitting in the cell next to his.”
Vanessa panicked. She had zero loyalty to a broke, incarcerated felon.
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“I’ll tell you everything!” she cried, pulling out her phone. “I have voice notes! I have texts! He told me about the auditors! He bragged about how his mother was going to help him 'break' you so he could get the patents. I’ll testify to whatever you want, just don't let them put me in jail!”
I sat back, exchanging a satisfied glance with Mr. Vance. Julian’s final safety net had just been weaponized against him.
