Chapter 4 - The Confrontation
I closed the binder smoothly and turned around.
Daniel stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. His suit jacket was off, his tie loosened, and his eyes were dark with malice. In his right hand, he held a glass of scotch.
“You know, Mara,” he said smoothly, taking a sip, “I really thought you were different. I thought you were just another pathetic, needy widow I could mold into the perfect little socialite wife. But breaking into hidden safes? That doesn’t fit your helpless persona.”
“You’re sick, Daniel,” I said, keeping my hands near my sides. “You knew about your diagnosis. You hid it, and you targeted my son.”
Daniel’s expression turned cold and arrogant. “Who are they going to believe, Mara? A respected hedge-fund manager who donates millions to children’s hospitals, or a troubled, rebellious teenager with a history of behavioral issues? My legal team is already filing for emergency conservatorship over Eli. We’re going to have him committed to a private psychiatric facility by morning.”
A cold laugh escaped my lips. “You really have no idea who you’re talking to, do you?”
Daniel smirked. “I know exactly who you are. A nobody I saved from financial mediocrity.”
I stepped out of the closet, closing the distance between us until I was inches from his face. “My name isn’t just Mara. Before I took my late husband’s name, I was Mara Sterling. Lead Field Investigator for Blackwood Risk Solutions.”
Daniel’s smirk faltered slightly. Blackwood was notorious in high-finance circles—a firm that dismantled billionaires without ever firing a bullet in public.
“I’ve tracked men far smarter and far richer than you, Daniel,” I whispered. “You think you’re a predator? You’re just prey that hasn't realized it’s caught in a trap yet.”
May you like
Before he could react, I swept his knee, sending him crashing to the hardwood floor, spilling his scotch across his expensive rug. I grabbed my bag from the safe, racked the slide of my pistol for effect, and stepped over him.
“See you in court, Daniel.”
