Chapter 4 - The Threat of the Old ColonialWhile Daniel sat in a holding cell, Evelyn went to work. She was a woman who believed that enough money and the right connections could wash away any sin.
By the next morning, she had hired a high-priced defense attorney, Julian Vance, and secured Daniel’s release on a massive bail. She didn't care about the truth; she cared about the Sterling name. Her first move was to launch a brutal counter-offensive.
I was staying at my father’s secure cabin upstate, far from the prying eyes of the media and the private investigators Evelyn had undoubtedly hired to follow me.
"They’re going to paint you as the unstable one, Mara," my father warned me as he poured two mugs of coffee. "They’ve already leaked a story to the local papers claiming you had a psychological breakdown, and that Daniel was only trying to restrain you from hurting yourself."
I looked at my reflection in the dark coffee. The swelling on my cheek had gone down, but the yellow-green tint of the healing bruise was a constant reminder of what I had escaped.
"Let them try," I said quietly. "They think this is a simple he-said, she-said domestic violence case. They think if they drag my reputation through the mud, I'll back down and agree to a quiet settlement."
"And you're not going to?" my father smiled, a glint of pride in his eyes.
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"I’m a forensic accountant, Dad," I replied, opening my laptop. "Daniel wanted my townhouse because he’s drowning in debt. He’s been embezzling funds from his own development company, and he used my forged signature to secure a three-million-dollar loan on Evelyn’s colonial estate. I have the digital certificates. I have the IP addresses. He didn't just beat me; he stole my identity to save his sinking ship."
I tapped a key, sending a massive encrypted folder to my attorney. "Daniel thinks he bought his freedom with bail. He has no idea I’m about to audit his entire life."
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