Chapter 5 - Arrogance on Tape
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Everett was pouring himself another glass of bourbon when I entered the living room. Warren looked up from his tablet, while Celeste adjusted her pearl necklace with a look of supreme boredom.
“Is the patient finally asleep?” Celeste asked, her tone heavy with condescension.
“She’s resting,” I said, keeping my voice soft, almost timid. I walked toward the armchair and sat on the very edge, folding my hands tightly in my lap to appear terrified. “Everett... Clara seems very upset about some papers you want her to sign tomorrow.”
Everett smirked, taking a slow sip of his drink. He walked over and stood over me, utilizing his tall frame to project dominance.
“Marian, let’s be entirely honest with each other,” Everett said, his voice dropping into a smooth, menacing register. “Clara is unstable. Pregnancy has broken her mind. Tomorrow morning at ten, she is going to sign the administrative transfer for her father’s trust, as well as a voluntary custody delegation for the child.”
“And if she refuses?” I asked, looking up at him with wide, seemingly frightened eyes.
Warren let out a booming laugh. “Refuse? She doesn't have a choice, Marian. We control the narrative here. Celeste sits on the regional hospital board. I donate millions to the local judiciary. Who do you think the courts will believe? A prestigious family with unlimited resources, or a hysterical girl with no job and a mother who lives on a fixed pension?”
“We are doing this for the family legacy,” Celeste added smoothly, taking a delicate sip of tea. “Clara is simply an incubator for the next Vance heir. Once the baby is born, we will handle her... medical care in a private facility.”
In my right pocket, my thumb was pressed against my smartphone. The screen was dark, but the high-definition voice recorder app had been running from the moment I stepped off the stairs.
Every confession, every threat, and every detail of their conspiracy was being captured in pristine audio quality.
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“I see,” I said softly, lowering my head as if defeated. “You really have thought of everything.”
“We always do, Marian,” Everett chuckled, tossing back the rest of his bourbon. “Now go to bed. You have a long drive back to Raleigh in the morning.”
