Chapter 7 - The Blue Envelope
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Lianna hesitated, but the authority in Sterling’s voice seemed to wear down her resistance. The chain clicked, and the door creaked open.
Sterling stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
Corbin crept down the narrow, carpeted hallway until he was standing directly beside door 3B. The wooden frame was old and warped, leaving a slight gap near the floor that allowed their voices to carry clearly into the corridor.
“I’ve paid my rent, Mr. Sterling,” Lianna was saying, her voice defensive. “I work hard. I’m not breaking any laws. Why do you keep harassing me?”
“Because you are holding onto property that belongs to Stanford Development,” Sterling replied, his voice calm yet sinister. “Four years ago, when Ethan met with his unfortunate accident at the harbor construction site, you signed an agreement. You received fifty thousand dollars in exchange for your complete silence.”
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“Fifty thousand dollars that went straight to Ethan’s medical bills before he died in the ICU!” Lianna cried out, her voice trembling with emotion. “I was twenty-two years old, pregnant, and terrified! You brought those papers to the hospital room while my husband was on life support!”
“It was a legal settlement, Lianna,” Sterling countered coolly. “And part of that agreement stipulated that all of Ethan’s personal work logs, site photos, and structural reports were to be turned over to the firm. We know he kept a duplicate copy in an old blue envelope. We know you still have it.”
