Chapter 35 - The Sting
The trap was set at a high-end, discreet hotel bar in downtown Chicago, a place frequented by corporate fixers and discrete lawyers. Connor was sweating profusely, sitting in a leather booth in the back corner. Beneath his cheap, wrinkled suit jacket, Chloe had expertly secured a high-definition recording device.
Chloe, Arthur, and I sat in an unmarked surveillance van parked in the alleyway behind the hotel, listening to the live audio feed. We had also coordinated with our contacts at the FBI, who had agents stationed in the hotel lobby, waiting for our signal.
At exactly 2:00 PM, Marcus Thorne, Victor’s arrogant lead counsel, walked into the bar. He looked completely out of place in his five-thousand-dollar suit, casting a disgusted look at Connor as he slid into the booth opposite him.
"You look terrible, Mr. Lawson," Thorne sneered, his voice transmitting perfectly through our audio feed. "I hope you are ready to earn your paycheck."
"I... I want to see the money first," Connor stammered, attempting to sound tough but failing miserably.
"You get twenty thousand in cash right now as a retainer," Thorne replied smoothly. "The remaining four hundred and eighty thousand will be wired to your offshore account the moment your television interview airs. All you have to do is read the script we provide. You will state that Maya Lawson is a clinical sociopath who orchestrates false allegations of abuse to steal from wealthy men."
"It's a lie," Connor whispered. "She’ll sue me for defamation."
"She won't have the resources to sue anyone when Victor is done with her," Thorne laughed cruelly. "Do we have a deal, Connor? Say the words on television, and all your debts go away."
In the surveillance van, Arthur grinned. "We have the explicit offer of bribery for perjury. He just handed us his own head on a silver platter."
"Signal the agents," I commanded.
Through the audio feed, we heard the sudden, heavy footsteps of the FBI tactical team approaching the booth.
"Marcus Thorne," a deep, authoritative voice interrupted the conversation. "You are under arrest for witness tampering, subornation of perjury, and extortion. Put your hands on the table."
May you like
Thorne stammered in absolute shock, the sound of handcuffs clicking echoing through the wire.
I leaned back in the van, closing my eyes. Victor's legal shield was completely shattered. The king was finally exposed.
