Chapter 33 - A Ghost Reappears
The standoff with Victor Vance escalated into a high-stakes media war. Unable to attack us legally without exposing his own crimes, Victor hired aggressive public relations firms to smear Eleanor. They leaked fabricated stories to the tabloids, claiming Eleanor was mentally unstable, struggling with addiction, and had run away with a cult-like feminist organization.
I was sitting in my penthouse late on a Friday evening, watching the news coverage with absolute disgust. They were using his money to twist the narrative, relying on the oldest trick in the abuser's playbook: calling the victim crazy.
Chloe walked into the living room, holding her ringing cell phone. Her expression was deeply unsettled.
"Maya, you need to take this call," Chloe said, handing me the phone. "It's the emergency burner line. And you are not going to believe who is on the other end."
I frowned, pressing the phone to my ear. "This is Maya."
"Hello, little sister," a raspy, desperate voice echoed through the speaker.
My blood ran cold. It was Connor.
I hadn't spoken to my brother in over four years. Since the trial, he had completely vanished into the seedy underbelly of the city, drowning in the massive civil debts he owed me and the total destruction of his fraudulent influencer brand.
"How did you get this number, Connor?" I demanded, my grip tightening on the phone.
"I still have a few contacts left who know how to dig," Connor wheezed. He sounded awful, terrified, and entirely broken. "Maya, listen to me. I know you hate me. I know I deserve it. But I need money. Just a hundred thousand. If I don't pay off these loan sharks by Monday, they are going to kill me."
"Your debts are not my problem," I said coldly, preparing to hang up.
"Wait!" he screamed frantically. "I have something to trade! I know about Victor Vance! I saw the news. He’s looking for dirt on you to destroy your foundation."
I paused. "What does Victor Vance have to do with you?"
"His lawyers found me, Maya," Connor confessed, his voice shaking. "They tracked me down to a motel. They offered me half a million dollars to go on national television and testify that you are a manipulative psychopath. They want me to say you forced our parents into prison to steal their money, and that you are doing the same thing to Victor’s wife."
Victor was desperate. He was digging up the ghosts of my past to discredit my present.
May you like
"And why are you calling me instead of taking his money?" I asked.
"Because I know Victor Vance," Connor spat bitterly. "He’s a snake. He’ll use me for the interview and then let the sharks kill me to avoid paying. You are the only one who actually keeps their word, Maya. Buy the information from me. Please."
