Chapter 8 - The Aftermath of the Scandal
he scene at the Whitmore estate was a spectacle of pure, high-society chaos. My father
was led away in handcuffs, his expensive tuxedo jacket rumpled, his head bowed in
absolute defeat as the local media—tipped off by an anonymous source—snapped photos of his arrest.
My mother was escorted from the property by security guards after attempting to slap Mercer, her
screams of rage echoing off the cliffs. Camille sat on the wet grass, sobbing hysterically as she realized
she was completely bankrupt, her credit cards useless, her designer clothing and Milan apartment
about to be liquidated to pay off my father's federal debts.
Daniel’s mother, a formidable Newport matriarch with eyes like chipped ice, stepped forward,
her gaze locked onto me. "Elise... you’ve brought federal agents to our estate. You’ve ruined our
family's joint-venture merger. The Whitmore name is now associated with a massive financial
scandal."
"Your family’s joint-venture merger was based on my father’s fraudulent assets, Mrs. Whitmore,"
I said, looking her dead in the eye, my voice holding the same power as my mother-in-law’s. "If the
merger had gone through, the Whitmore name would have been dragged down into the criminal
indictments as co-conspirators. I didn't ruin your family. I saved you from a federal investigation. But
if you feel my presence is a stain on your reputation, I am happy to leave."
Daniel stepped directly between us, his grip on my hand tightening. "She’s not going anywhere,
Mom," he said, his voice firm and unyielding. "Elise did the right thing. She exposed a criminal before
he could destroy us all. If you want to blacklist her, you’ll have to blacklist me too." His mother stared
at him, her icy expression cracking for the first time, realizing that the old-money control she held
May you like
over her son was officially gone.
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