Chapter 4 - The First Drip
The first leak hit the major financial news outlets at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday.
It was a collection of documents proving that the Sterling Corporation had been systematically avoiding taxes for over a decade.
The reaction was instantaneous; the stock price plummeted before the opening bell had even finished ringing.
At the Sterling estate, the atmosphere was thick with panic.
Victoria was screaming at her assistants, while Julian was pacing the room, his phone glued to his ear as he tried to contain the damage.
Chloe was nowhere to be seen, likely hiding in her room, terrified that her lifestyle was about to be revoked.
Evelyn sat in a coffee shop three miles away, watching the news ticker on the wall.
She felt a sense of calm she had never experienced before, the feeling of a weight being lifted from her shoulders.
The reporters were already swarming the front gates of the estate, their cameras capturing every moment of the Sterling family's desperation.
Victoria looked aged, her makeup unable to hide the stress lines etched deep into her face.
Julian was being grilled by a reporter about the validity of the documents, his stuttering response confirming the public's suspicions.
It was just the beginning, a small tremor before the earthquake.
Evelyn knew that Victoria would try to scapegoat someone, likely an assistant or a lower-level manager.
But the documents were too detailed, too personal to be blamed on a subordinate.
She had made sure to include email chains where Victoria explicitly ordered the illegal actions.
The public was beginning to turn, the comments sections of the articles filled with vitriol directed at the family.
They were no longer the untouchable aristocrats; they were common criminals in the eyes of the world.
Evelyn ordered a second cup of coffee and watched as the news anchor mentioned a federal investigation was being opened.
She pulled out her phone, checking a burner account she had created for tracking the fallout.
The hashtag #SterlingCorruption was already trending at the top of the charts.
She watched a video of Victoria being chased to her car, the woman’s face contorted in a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
It was the first time she had seen Victoria lose her composure, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed.
The dominoes were beginning to fall exactly as she had predicted.
May you like
She knew that the next move would be the hardest, but she was ready.
She had spent enough time in the shadows to know how to navigate them perfectly.
