Chapter 18
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Maya set her champagne glass down on the table with a slow, deliberate movement. She did not break eye contact with Elias Thorne. The orchestra continued to play in the background, a stark contrast to the sudden, icy tension at our table.
"If you believe Meridian Industrial Group owes your clients a debt," Maya said, her voice perfectly even, "you are welcome to submit your claims to their legal department. If the debt was accrued by Julian illegally, the federal restitution courts have already closed those ledgers."
"Courts only close what they can see," Elias countered softly, his calculating eyes narrowing. "Julian was very creative in his final years. He signed a secondary guarantee. A private contract, entirely off the books, leveraging the Blackwood estate as collateral."
My blood ran cold. The Blackwood estate was my family's legacy, a legacy I had spent years untangling from Julian's fraudulent grasp.
"There are no secret contracts," I interjected, my voice carrying the weight of my seventy-eight years of experience. "Every single piece of paper Julian ever signed was audited by forensic accountants."
"You missed one, Eleanor," Elias smiled condescendingly. "And I have the original. I suggest we arrange a private meeting next week to discuss a quiet settlement. It would be a shame to drag your family back into the headlines after you worked so hard to disappear."
Noah stood up, his tall frame suddenly imposing. "My wife gave you her answer. Submit it to the lawyers, or leave our table."
Elias looked at Noah, then back to Maya. He pulled a sleek business card from his pocket and dropped it on the white tablecloth.
"Think about it," Elias said, turning and walking away into the crowd.
May you like
Maya looked down at the card. She didn't tremble. She didn't panic. She simply picked up her fork.
"We will audit the archive tomorrow," Maya said to me, her voice completely devoid of fear. "If he forged a document, we will prove it. No one extorts this family ever again."
