Chapter 8 - Chloe’s Betrayal
While Marcus was being publicly served in the hospital lobby, Chloe was discovering the harsh reality of her new life. Stuck in a cheap, two-star motel near the highway—the only room Marcus could afford using a prepaid debit card—she stared at her reflection in the dingy bathroom mirror. The luxury cape was gone. The designer bags were locked in a repo depot. The glamour of being a rich architect’s mistress had vanished in less than seventy-two hours.
Her phone buzzed on the laminate nightstand. It wasn't Marcus. It was an unknown number. When she answered, a sharp, professional voice spoke on the other end.
"Miss Jenkins? My name is Jessica Pierce. I represent Elena Sterling."
Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Panic and greed collided in her mind. "If she thinks she can sue me, she's wasting her time! Marcus told me she was broke! I didn't do anything illegal!"
"We aren't calling to sue you, Miss Jenkins," Jessica said calmly. "We are calling to offer you an opportunity for preservation. We know Mr. Vance used stolen corporate funds to purchase gifts and property in your name. When the federal marshals seize those assets, you will be named as a co-conspirator in his fraud."
Chloe gasped, clutching her stomach. "No! I didn't know! He told me he was rich! He told me his wife was a gold-digger who contributed nothing!"
"We know Marcus is a liar," Jessica replied smoothly. "Miss Sterling is willing to instruct the forensic investigators to view you as an unknowing victim rather than a willing accomplice—on one condition."
"Anything," Chloe desperate whispered, pacing the stained motel carpet. "What do I have to do?"
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"Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, Marcus is giving a deposition at our downtown law offices. We want you there. And we want every text message, email, and voice note he ever sent you detailing his plans to hide money and abandon his children. Turn over the evidence, and you walk away cleanly."
Chloe didn't hesitate for a single second. The man who had promised her high society was now sinking like a stone, and she had no intention of drowning with him. "I'll be there. I have everything backed up on my iCloud. I'll give you whatever you want."
