Chapter 6 - The War for Sterling Enterprises
By midnight, Sarah and Sofie were settled into the primary guest suite of Daniel’s penthouse overlooking the lake.
Sofie was fast asleep on a king-sized mattress wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets, her tiny hand clutching a velvet teddy bear Daniel had kept from her baby nursery. Sarah had taken a long, warm shower, wearing a clean silk robe Daniel had provided.
In the private study, the lights burned bright.
Daniel sat behind his heavy walnut desk, wearing a dark sweater and trousers. Sitting across from him were Marcus and Eleanor Vance—not related to Elena, but Eleanor was the top corporate litigation attorney in Illinois, personally retained by Daniel three hours prior.
“The financial audit is complete, Mr. Sterling,” Eleanor said, pushing a thick blue folder across the desk. “And it’s far worse than simple domestic fraud.”
Daniel leaned forward, his face dark. “Show me.”
“Over the last twenty-four months,” Eleanor explained, pointing to line items on the spreadsheets, “your mother, Martha Sterling, embezzled approximately four point two million dollars from the Sterling Family Foundation. She funneled the funds through three shell companies registered in Delaware.”
“Where did the money go?” Daniel asked.
“To Elena Vance’s father,” Eleanor revealed smoothly. “Vance Financial was on the brink of bankruptcy two years ago. Martha used your foundation’s funds to keep their firm afloat, in exchange for Elena agreeing to marry you and help keep Sarah completely out of the picture. It was a pre-arranged corporate merger disguised as a romance.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched beneath his skin. “And the restraining orders against Sarah?”
“Completely fraudulent,” Eleanor confirmed. “Forged judge’s signatures, fake police report numbers filed through a corrupt precinct captain who was on Martha’s payroll. Sarah never broke a single law. She was terrorized into silence by threat of prison and losing her child.”
Daniel stood up, walking over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Below, the lights of Chicago stretched into the dark horizon.
“I want them ruined,” Daniel said quietly.
“Mr. Sterling?” Eleanor asked.
“I want criminal charges filed against Martha Sterling, Elena Vance, and her father for embezzlement, corporate fraud, extortion, child endangerment, and forgery,” Daniel commanded, turning around to face his legal team. “I want press releases issued to every major news outlet in the country by six o'clock tomorrow morning. I want the world to know the truth about what they did to my wife.”
“And your mother, sir?” Marcus asked quietly. “Publicly charging your mother will create a massive spectacle.”
“She ceased being my mother the moment she put my daughter in a cold basement on 47th Street,” Daniel replied coldly. “File the charges.”
Suddenly, the penthouse intercom chimed. The front desk security officer’s voice came through the speaker.
“Mr. Sterling, excuse me for bothering you at this hour, but Mrs. Martha Sterling is downstairs in the lobby with two uniformed police officers. She is claiming that a child was kidnapped from her custody and is demanding immediate entry to your residence.”
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Daniel looked at Marcus and Eleanor. A cold, lethal smile touched his lips.
“Let them up,” Daniel said into the intercom. “In fact... tell them we’ve been waiting for them.”
