Chapter 10 - The Blackmail Attempt
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Three days later, the dust had begun to settle inside the estate. Marisol had returned to work, and the girls were visibly more relaxed, their laughter echoing through the hallways once again.
But the storm outside was just gathering.
I was sitting in the living room, helping Sofia with a puzzle, when my personal cell phone rang. The caller ID displayed an unknown number. Against my better judgment, I answered it.
"Alexander," Chloe’s voice hissed through the speaker. She sounded frantic, erratic, and utterly desperate.
"Do not ever call this number again," I said coldly, standing up and walking into the hallway so my daughters couldn't hear. "My lawyers will be handling all communication regarding the termination of your lease on the downtown condo."
"You listen to me, you arrogant bastard," Chloe spat, her voice trembling with a mixture of rage and panic. "You think you can just throw me away? You think you can leave me to the wolves?"
"Your gambling debts are not my problem, Chloe. You brought this on yourself."
"Oh, really?" she laughed, a shrill, manic sound that sent a chill down my spine. "Let's see how much of a problem it becomes when I go to the press. I have an exclusive interview lined up with a major tabloid tomorrow morning."
I stopped walking. "What are you talking about?"
"I am going to tell the world that Alexander Vance, the beloved tech billionaire, is a violently abusive monster," Chloe threatened smoothly. "I am going to say you beat me. I am going to say you had your security guards physically throw me out into the street. I will ruin your company's stock price, Alexander. I will drag your name through the mud until you lose everything."
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"Nobody will believe you," I said, my grip tightening on the phone.
"They always believe the crying woman," she sneered. "Unless, of course, you wire five million dollars into an offshore account by midnight tonight. Consider it a severance package. Pay me, Alexander, or I burn your entire life to the ground."
