Part 24
I walked out of that skyscraper with my head held high, refusing to let his security guards see the tremor in my fingers.
The moment I reached my car, I locked the doors and dialled Robert's private number.
"Robert, we have a problem," I said, my voice shaking slightly as the adrenaline finally began to fade.
"It’s Victor Sterling."
There was a long, heavy silence on the other end of the line.
"Sterling?" Robert’s voice lost all its usual professional warmth, replaced by genuine dread.
"Elena, tell me you didn't get involved with him."
I quickly explained the penthouse meeting, the fabricated folder, and the ultimatum.
"He's a monster, Elena," Robert said, his tone grim.
"He doesn't just destroy people; he erases them. He has three judges in his pocket and a legal team that could make a saint look like a killer."
"Can he actually tie my business to Jason's fraud?" I asked, looking out at the city streets that suddenly felt very hostile.
"With fabricated documents? Yes, if we can't prove they are fake," Robert admitted.
"But doing that takes time, and Sterling knows that a lengthy federal investigation will destroy your reputation before we ever get to a trial."
"He's trying to choke you out, just like Jason did."
I leaned my head against the steering wheel, closing my eyes.
I thought of Lily, who was currently at her ballet class, entirely oblivious to the shadow creeping back over our lives.
"I won't let him take what I built, Robert," I whispered fiercely.
"I won't let him touch my daughter."
"Then we don't play defense this time, Elena," Robert said, his voice hardening.
May you like
"If a man like Sterling is coming after you, the only way to survive is to cut his head off before he can swing his sword."
"Let me do some digging. Don't sign anything."
