David stepped forward, throwing a thick stack of legal documents onto the table. “Mr. Sterling, as of 6:00 AM today, the Escalante Conglomerate has enacted the breach-of-contract clauses. Due to personal misconduct and embezzlement of funds—specifically, the purchase of a red dress and a penthouse for a mistress using corporate lines—all funding is withdrawn. The Sterling Group is officially bankrupt.”
Andrew gasped, looking at the investors, who were already rushing out of the room. “This is absurd! My mother is a Sterling! We have legacy!”
“Your mother is currently being evicted,” I replied smoothly.
Reckoning on the Persian Rug
By noon, I returned to the Beverly Hills mansion.
The scene outside was a spectacle. Moving trucks were lined up, and movers were carrying out the expensive furniture. On the driveway, Mrs. Sterling was screaming at a mover who was holding her precious Persian rug. Andrew and Brenda arrived in a panic, only to find the electronic gates locked against them.
“You can’t do this!” Mrs. Sterling shrieked when she saw me step out of the house. “This is my home! Where is my emerald necklace? You stole it, you gutter rat!”
“Looking for this, mother?..
The head housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, stepped out from behind me. In her hands was the velvet box—and a tablet playing a security video. The footage clearly showed Brenda sneaking into Mrs. Sterling’s room, taking the necklace, and hiding it in her own red designer bag to frame me.
Mrs. Sterling’s jaw dropped. She turned to Brenda, who went pale and began to stumble backward. “Brenda… you?”
“But that’s not the best part,” I said, looking at Andrew.
A police cruiser pulled up to the curb. Two officers stepped out.
“Andrew Sterling?” one officer asked. “You are under arrest for corporate fraud, tax evasion, and…” The officer looked at the bruising on my cheek. “…domestic assault. We have the staff’s testimonies.”
Andrew looked at me, the arrogance completely draining from his face. The reality of his ruin finally sank in. He fell to his knees on the gravel, reaching for the hem of my suit.
“Marianne, please! I was stupid, I was blind! We can fix this! I love you!”
I stepped back, leaving him clutching at the empty air.
“Four years ago, you told me I smelled like a flea market,” I said, looking down at the three of them. “Today, you don’t even have enough money to shop at one. Andrew, you told me to get on my knees and get out. Now, look who’s on the floor.”
I turned my back on them as the handcuffs clicked into place around Andrew’s wrists. The storm was over, and I was finally walking into the sun.
