Chapter 6 - The House of Cards Falls
The Sterlings tried to bluff. Of course they did. People who have spent their entire lives lying and bullying don't know how to surrender gracefully.
At 9:00 AM the following morning, Clara received a call from their defense attorney offering a measly fifty-thousand-dollar settlement and a demand for a non-disclosure agreement.
"They actually think they can buy their way out of a felony," Clara laughed over the phone. "What's the play, Val?"
"Send the file to the District Attorney's office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation," I said calmly. "And call the local news. I think they’d love a story about a prominent local developer committing bank fraud to fund their lavish lifestyle."
By 3:00 PM that afternoon, the storm hit Cherry Hills with the force of a hurricane.
Two unmarked black SUVs pulled up to the Sterling Development corporate headquarters. Federal agents walked out carrying boxes of confiscated files, computers, and financial ledgers. At the same time, the local news broadcasted a live segment outside the Cherry Hills mansion, detailing the arrest warrants issued for Diego Sterling and his father, Arthur, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and grand larceny.
I watched the news from my office, sipping a cup of tea.
My phone buzzed. It was a call from my boss, Marcus.
"Valerie, I don't know what you did, but we just received a formal letter from the city council. The library expansion project has been officially awarded to our firm. And... I received a very frantic, very apologetic email from Arthur Sterling's legal team before his arrest. I am so sorry I ever doubted you."
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"Thank you, Marcus," I said, smiling. "I told you I’d handle it."
As I hung up, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. But I knew the battle wasn't fully over. Diego was backed into a corner, and a cornered rat is always the most dangerous.
