Chapter 13 - WAR OF THE PRESS
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“This… this is impossible,” Vanessa whispered, her voice cracking as she stared at the black-and-white signature page. “He promised me fifty percent of the holding equity once the board voted Clare out.”
“Dominic doesn't share power, Vanessa,” I said calmly, leaning against the back of an armchair. “He used my father to build his company, he used me to secure his heir, and he used you to commit federal contract fraud. When the feds freeze Callahan Maritime tomorrow, whose name do you think is on the altered Naples addendum?”
Vanessa sank heavily onto the sofa, covering her face with both hands. “My signature is on the wire transfers.”
“Precisely,” I said. “In forty-eight hours, Dominic will announce that you acted alone—that you embezzled company funds and manipulated his family while his wife was suffering from a tragic pregnancy illness.”
Vanessa looked up at me, her eyes filled with a terrifying mixture of rage and desperation. “What do you want, Clare?”
“I want your master access key to the Callahan Maritime press portal,” I stated firmly. “And I want the audio recording you made of Dominic in his study last week.”
Vanessa gasped. “How do you know about that?”
“Because you’re paranoid,” I smiled faintly. “You’ve been recording him for months as insurance. Give me the files, Vanessa, and Elena Rossi will secure you immunity with the Italian authorities before Dominic even knows you’ve turned on him.”
Vanessa stared at me for five agonizing seconds. Then, she stood up, walked to her vanity desk, and pulled a small silver USB drive from her jewelry box.
May you like
“He’s holding an emergency press conference at the Callahan Building at 11:00 a.m.,” Vanessa said, her voice shaking with newfound malice as she pressed the drive into my hand. “He’s planning to announce your formal commitment to the St. Jude facility.”
I took the drive and smiled. “Then we better give the reporters a much better story.”
