Chapter 14 - Victoria’s Last Lie
Victoria tried to take the words back.
She couldn’t.
Her attorney tried to end the hearing.
Judge Hall refused.
Detective Reyes left the courtroom and returned twenty minutes later with prosecutors.
Sarah remained seated with Leo’s hand in hers.
Victoria appeared again on screen from an interview room.
Her lawyer sat beside her.
This time she looked smaller.
Reyes spoke from behind Sarah.
“Mrs. Sterling, you have the right not to answer.”
Victoria stared at Sarah.
“I loved my son.”
Sarah’s jaw tightened.
“That isn’t an answer.”
“He was throwing away everything.”
“He was protecting his wife and child.”
“You didn’t belong in our world.”
Sarah almost laughed.
“There it is.”
Victoria leaned toward the camera.
“You think money changes what you were?”
“No.”
Sarah looked down at her inexpensive dress.
“I’m counting on it not to.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“Ethan stopped listening to me because of you.”
“No.”
“He challenged me because of you.”
“Maybe he challenged you because you were stealing from his child.”
“I was saving the company.”
“You stole fourteen million dollars.”
“I moved money.”
“To shell companies.”
“To protect us during a liquidity crisis.”
“And when Ethan threatened to expose you?”
Victoria looked away.
Sarah waited.
Finally Victoria whispered,
“I called Charles.”
“What did you tell him?”
“To delay Ethan.”
“How?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Of course you didn’t.”
“I wanted time.”
“You paid a man whose entire job was making problems disappear.”
Victoria’s eyes filled.
“I thought he would strand the car.”
“You knew he had already tampered with it.”
“I knew about the sensor.”
“You let Ethan drive anyway.”
Victoria began crying.
Sarah felt no satisfaction.
Only exhaustion.
“Then after he died, you blamed me.”
Victoria whispered,
“I needed the company stable.”
“You needed Leo’s shares.”
Silence.
“You forged my custody papers.”
Silence.
“You forged my inheritance waiver.”
Silence.
“You created bank records making me look like a thief.”
Victoria looked down.
“Yes.”
Leo squeezed Sarah’s hand.
She wished he hadn’t heard it.
Maybe one day she would wish he had.
Truth hurt.
But lies had hurt them longer.
Victoria suddenly looked at him.
“Leo, sweetheart—”
He moved closer to Sarah.
“Don’t.”
One word.
Victoria stopped.
Leo’s voice shook.
“You said Mommy was bad.”
Victoria began crying harder.
“I was trying to—”
“You lied.”
Victoria covered her face.
Leo turned away.
That broke her more than any accusation.
Detective Reyes stepped forward.
“Victoria Sterling, prosecutors are adding charges related to conspiracy, custodial interference, fraud and obstruction. The homicide investigation remains open.”
Victoria looked toward Julian.
He stood near the back.
“Julian.”
He didn’t move.
“Please.”
“You had seven years to tell the truth.”
“I was afraid.”
“So was Sarah.”
Victoria stared at him.
Then her screen went dark.
The connection had ended.
Outside the courthouse, cameras filled the sidewalk.
Sarah stopped at the doors.
Reporters shouted.
“Ms. Mitchell, are you taking control of Sterling Holdings?”
“Will you sue Victoria?”
“Did Julian Vance help cover up Ethan’s death?”
“Are you worth fifty million dollars?”
Sarah shielded Leo.
Julian’s security team made a path.
Then a reporter shouted one question that stopped her.
“Sarah! Are you firing the entire Sterling board today?”
Sarah turned.
She hadn’t planned to.
Then Bell handed her his phone.
A breaking corporate alert filled the screen.
STERLING HOLDINGS BOARD CALLS EMERGENCY MEETING.
Below it:
BOARD SEEKS TO REMOVE SARAH MITCHELL’S VOTING RIGHTS BEFORE TRUST TRANSFER IS FINALIZED.
Sarah stared at the headline.
Julian read it over her shoulder.
“They’re making their move.”
Sarah looked at the skyscraper visible six blocks away.
Sterling Holdings.
The company that had paid lawyers to call her unstable.
The company that had financed Victoria’s war.
The company Ethan had secretly left in Sarah and Leo’s hands.
She handed Leo to Elena.
“Take him for pancakes.”
Leo grinned.
“Chocolate chip?”
“Extra chocolate chips.”
He kissed her cheek.
“Where are you going?”
Sarah looked again at the Sterling tower.
May you like
“To finish cleaning up.”
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