Chapter 12 - A Crisis of Faith
Mariana sat at her desk, staring at the yellow envelope David had placed in front of her. It felt like a toxic object. The idea of relying on Andrew for anything made her stomach turn.
"Are you sure these are legitimate?" Mariana asked her lead attorney, who was reviewing the copies.
"They are incredibly detailed," the attorney replied, pushing his glasses up his nose. "They outline a massive bribery network. If we can verify these routing numbers, Victor Vance will go to federal prison. But..."
"But what?" Mariana pressed.
"But the source is highly problematic. If the press finds out we got this from your disgraced ex-husband, they will spin it as a desperate revenge plot. It could backfire spectacularly."
David stood by the window, listening intently.
"We don't have to say where we got it," David suggested. "We just leak it to the authorities anonymously."
"Vance's lawyers will demand discovery," the attorney warned. "They will trace it back to us eventually."
Mariana rubbed her temples. The pressure was immense. Outside her building, protestors hired by Vance were marching with signs calling her a fraud. Her legacy was being dismantled brick by brick.
"I need to speak to him," Mariana said finally.
David looked at her in surprise.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" David asked gently. "You haven't seen him in over a year."
"I have to know if this is a trap," Mariana said, her voice turning hard and resolute. "I survived his lies once. I will not let him trick me again. If we are going to use this evidence, I need to look him in the eye and see if he is finally telling the truth."
David nodded slowly, trusting her judgment completely.
"I will arrange the meeting," David said.
Mariana looked at the old brown leather purse sitting on her shelf. She remembered the day she packed her bags and left the mansion. She remembered the sheer terror of starting over.
May you like
She was the Queen of her own empire now. She would not let the ghosts of her past dictate her future.
"Tell him to meet me at the foundation clinic," Mariana commanded. "On my turf."
