Chapter 4 - The Deposition
Three weeks later, we gathered in a glass-walled conference room on the 40th floor of a Midtown skyscraper for the court-ordered deposition.
The room was suffocatingly tense. Victoria Carile sat at the center of the table, flanked by two attorneys, wearing a dark navy suit and diamond earrings, trying desperately to project an air of untouchable authority. Next to her sat Logan, looking pale and hollowed out. Across from them sat Chloe Bennett, who had been subpoenaed as a third-party witness regarding the financial transfers.
Eleanor sat next to me, her pens aligned neatly on a yellow legal pad. I wore a simple gray tailored suit, my hair pulled back into a neat bun. I looked directly across the table at Victoria. She refused to meet my eyes.
"We are here today," Jonathan Sterling began, resting his hands on the table, "to discuss the temporary custody arrangements for Arya Carile, as well as the equitable distribution of assets. My clients are prepared to offer Mrs. Skyler Carile a generous settlement of one million dollars, along with a modest two-bedroom condominium in Queens, provided she signs a strict non-disclosure agreement and grants full custody to Logan Carile, with weekend visitation rights for the mother."
Sterling smiled, as if he had just handed a pauper the keys to a kingdom.
Eleanor didn't even flinch. She slowly unscrewed her pen. "One million dollars and a condo in Queens. How charitable, Mr. Sterling. Especially considering the total assets of Carile Enterprises exceed eighty-five million dollars, and your clients actively engaged in a conspiracy to commit defamation, emotional abuse, and corporate fraud."
"Allegations!" Victoria snapped, her voice sharp. "Unsubstantiated fabrications from an opportunistic woman who—"
"Quiet, Victoria," Eleanor said, her voice dropping an octave, carrying a terrifying authority that silenced the older woman instantly. "You are not in a ballroom now. You are under oath, and this deposition is being recorded."
Eleanor turned to Chloe Bennett. "Ms. Bennett, let's start with you."
Chloe shifted uncomfortably in her leather chair. "I had nothing to do with their marriage."
"Of course," Eleanor said smoothly. "Let's talk about the fifty thousand dollars transferred to your real estate firm on October 14th. You claimed in your preliminary affidavit that this was a retainer fee for architectural consulting provided to Logan Carile."
"It was," Chloe replied, lifting her chin.
Eleanor pulled a document from her stack. "Then why did your firm transfer forty thousand dollars of that money into a personal account owned by Victoria Carile two days later?"
Chloe froze. Her eyes darted toward Victoria, who suddenly sat up straight, her hands tightening into fists.
"I... I don't recall the specific accounting details," Chloe stammered.
"Let me help refresh your memory," Eleanor said, handing copies of bank statements across the table. "This was kickback scheme. Logan diverted funds from his joint marital account with Skyler to your company, you took a ten thousand dollar 'consulting fee' for acting as a pass-through entity, and returned the remainder to Victoria to bypass gift tax regulations and shield the money from the upcoming divorce proceedings."
"This is ridiculous!" Sterling interjected, standing up. "This is a civil custody hearing, not a financial audit!"
"It becomes a financial audit, Mr. Sterling," Eleanor countered calmly, "when marital fraud is committed to impoverish my client prior to a divorce. And it becomes a federal matter when those transfers touch foreign accounts."
Eleanor reached into her briefcase and pulled out a blue folder stamped with the seal of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Victoria’s breath hitched. "What is that?"
"This morning," Eleanor said, "we submitted our findings regarding Carile Holdings' offshore account structures to the Tax Division. In light of the evidence, the state has initiated a formal inquiry into Carile Enterprises. Furthermore, we have filed a motion for complete financial receivership of all Carile assets pending trial."
Logan turned to his mother, his face ghostly white. "Mom... what does that mean?"
May you like
Victoria didn't answer him. She was staring at Eleanor, and for the first time since I had met her five years ago, I saw fear in Victoria Carile’s eyes.
"You have five minutes to reconsider your offer, Mr. Sterling," Eleanor said, leaning back in her chair. "Or our next meeting will be in front of a federal judge."
