Chapter 5 - The Confession
By dawn, Leo was resting comfortably in a sterile, peaceful room at the private pediatric clinic. Dr. Hayes confirmed that the toxins were clearing from his system and his heart rate had normalized. Sitting in the plush armchair beside his bed, holding his small, warm hand, I felt the heavy fog of exhaustion lift, replaced by a cold, calculating fury.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table. It was Marcus.
“Mr. Sterling. You need to come back to the estate immediately. We found her communications.”
Forty-five minutes later, I walked back through the grand double doors of my mansion. The morning sunlight streamed through the tall stained-glass windows, but the house felt freezing.
Marcus was waiting for me in my private study, alongside Clara. On my mahogany desk lay a laptop, several printed chat logs, and a bank statement.
“Tell me what you found,” I commanded, sitting behind my desk.
Marcus stepped forward, tapping the screen of the laptop. “We decrypted Victoria’s secondary phone. It was hidden inside the lining of her luxury travel case. For the past year, she has been in daily contact with Richard Vance.”
He slid a stack of printed emails across the desk. I picked them up.
“Make sure the boy doesn't sleep in peace,” one email from Richard read, dated three months ago. “If James is constantly sleep-deprived and distracted by household drama, he won't notice the irregularities in the Q3 subsidiary audits.”
Another reply from Victoria: “The herbal binding pillow is working perfectly. The kid screams every night. James is completely under my thumb. He trusts me more than his own instincts. The corporate takeover documents are ready for his signature next month.”
My breath hitched. It wasn't just about revenge against me; it was a multi-layered conspiracy to drive me insane, dismantle my mental focus, and execute a hostile corporate takeover of Sterling Enterprises while I was distracted by my son’s supposed “behavioral issues.”
“Where is Victoria now?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.
“Locked in the security holding room downstairs,” Marcus replied. “She’s demanding to speak with her lawyer. She says you have no legal right to detain her.”
“Bring her up here,” I said. “Let’s see what her lawyer has to say about conspiracy to commit poisoning and corporate espionage.”
Ten minutes later, the heavy study doors opened. Two guards escorted Victoria inside. The polished, elegant veneer was entirely gone. Her hair was messy, her designer dress wrinkled, and her eyes burned with feral defiance.
“You can’t do this, James!” she snapped, jerking her arms out of the guards' grip. “You’re kidnapping me! I’ll sue you for everything you’re worth!”
I turned my laptop around so the chat logs and bank transfers faced her. I slid the printed emails across the desk.
Victoria stopped dead in her tracks. Her jaw slackened, and the color drained completely from her face.
“Recognize these?” I asked softly, standing up from my chair and walking slowly around the desk. “Richard Vance. The secret bank accounts in the Caymans. The poison you put inside my son’s pillow.”
She tried to regain her composure, swallowing hard. “James... listen to me. Richard forced me! He threatened my family, he—!”
“Save it,” I interrupted, my voice cracking with suppressed rage. “Marcus has already traced your personal accounts. Richard didn't threaten you; he paid you five million dollars upfront with a promise of twenty million more once the company shares were transferred.”
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I stood inches away from her, towering over her.
“You touched my son,” I whispered, every word dripping with ice. “You hurt a six-year-old child for a paycheck. You didn't just sign your own arrest warrant, Victoria. You signed Richard’s, too.”
