Chapter 31 - Celeste’s Final Ploy
Desperation makes people incredibly predictable. As my public profile rose to stratospheric heights, the ruined remnants of my past tried one final time to monetize their connection to me.
I was in my office reviewing the FDA trial schedules when Jonathan walked in, looking deeply disgusted.
"You are not going to believe this," Jonathan said, dropping a thick manuscript onto my desk. "Our legal team intercepted this from a mid-tier publishing house in New York."
I looked at the title page. The True Heir: My Life in the Shadow of the Vale Empire. The author was listed as Celeste Thorne.
Celeste. The mistress Grant had intended to replace me with. The woman who had traded her dignity for a promise of wealth, only to end up bankrupt, publicly humiliated, and stripped of custody of her son by Marcus Reed.
"She is trying to publish a tell-all memoir," Jonathan explained. "The publisher sent us an advance copy as a courtesy, likely terrified of our legal reach. It’s filled with fabricated stories claiming you orchestrated Grant’s downfall out of sheer jealousy, and that she was a victim of your ruthless scheming."
I flipped through the pages, reading her pathetic, desperate lies. It was a laughable attempt to rewrite history by a woman who had willingly participated in a conspiracy to ruin my life.
"She is broke, Eleanor," Jonathan noted. "Her house arrest ended last year, and she is working as a receptionist at a low-end med spa. She is hoping this book will grant her a million-dollar advance."
"She doesn't get to monetize the trauma she helped inflict," I said coldly, closing the manuscript. "Did she sign a non-disclosure agreement during the federal plea deal?"
"A massive one," Jonathan smiled fiercely. "She is legally bound from discussing any internal matters regarding Vale Medical or the Vale family in perpetuity."
"Execute it," I commanded. "Have our legal team hit the publishing house with a cease and desist so severe they’ll drop her instantly. And hit Celeste with a civil suit for breach of contract. Freeze whatever microscopic assets she has left."
May you like
Jonathan nodded, grabbing the manuscript. "I’ll personally handle it. She’ll be permanently silenced by noon."
I leaned back in my chair. Celeste wanted to play the victim, but she was about to learn that the consequences of her choices were eternal.
