Chapter 5 - The Velvet Trap
The interior of the black sedan was warm, smelling faintly of sandalwood and expensive cedarwood. As Amy stumbled into the leather seat, the door clicked shut behind her with a heavy, sealed thud that isolated her from the rain and the sirens outside. The dome light flickered on softly, illuminating the face of the woman sitting across from her. It was Eleanor Sterling. The older woman had shed her sparkly green evening gown, now wearing a simple, dark trench coat, though the rope of pearls still gleamed coldly against her throat.
"You look terrified, my dear," Eleanor said, her voice unnaturally calm as she gestured for the driver to pull away from the curb. The car glided smoothly into the traffic, leaving the dark alley and Arthur Pendelton far behind.
Amy clutched the manila envelope to her chest, her knuckles white. "Where is Arthur? What did you do with him?"
"Arthur Pendelton is a relic of a dying era," Eleanor replied smoothly, opening a silver cigarette case, though she didn't light anything. "He thinks he’s protecting you, but he’s only leading you deeper into a trap. Julian doesn't know about this car, and he certainly doesn't know I’m here. But make no mistake, Amy—if those documents get into the wrong hands, my family’s entire empire collapses overnight."
Amy narrowed her eyes, the adrenaline still pumping through her veins giving her a sudden, fierce clarity. "Your family's empire was built on fraud, Eleanor. Julian forged my signature on a paternity waiver. He planned to throw me out on the street with nothing while he married Chloe Vance for her father's capital."
Eleanor didn't flinch. She simply closed her silver case with a sharp click and met Amy’s gaze with eyes that were terrifyingly devoid of warmth. "Julian is ambitious, yes, but he lacks discipline. He acts like a child playing with matches. That is why I am here. I don't care about Chloe Vance, and I certainly don't care about her father’s money. But I care about my bloodline. The child you are carrying is the sole legal heir to the Sterling Trust, whether Julian likes it or not."
"I am not handing my child over to a dynasty of monsters," Amy said, her voice shaking with restrained rage as she pressed her hand against her belly.
"Who said anything about handing over a child?" Eleanor leaned forward, the dim light catching the sharp planes of her face. "I am offering you a partnership. You help me strip Julian of his executive power and lock him out of the board of directors before the merger vote tomorrow morning. In exchange, I will ensure you and your child are given absolute financial independence and total legal immunity from the Sterling name."
Amy stared at the older woman, weighing the impossible gamble. Trusting Eleanor Sterling was like walking across a frozen lake in the middle of spring, knowing the ice could break at any second. Yet, looking back at the manila envelope containing the proof of Julian’s treachery, Amy realized she had no other weapons left.
"Tomorrow morning," Amy whispered, her jaw tightening. "Before the board meeting starts."
"Before the gavel even drops," Eleanor agreed with a thin, victorious smile.
May you like
The car slowed down as it approached the security gates of a massive, heavily guarded estate upstate, far outside the city limits. As the iron gates swung open, Amy looked out the window and saw a sight that made her blood run cold—Julian’s car was already parked in the circular driveway, its engine idling in the rain.
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