Chapter 8 - The Confession on Camera
The digital signature flashed green, confirming the asset transfer to my secure offshore accounts.
"Now for part two," Jax said smoothly, activating the video recording function on the tablet and propping it up against the base of the staircase, framing Richard’s terrified, sweaty face dead-center in the lens.
"Kael, get the chair," Jax instructed.
Kael dragged a heavy dining room chair over and shoved Richard down into it with unceremonious force. He then bound Richard’s wrists tightly behind the chair back using industrial heavy-duty zip ties, pulling them until Richard let out a sharp cry of pain.
"Look at the camera, Richard," I instructed, stepping into the frame right beside him, my hand resting protectively over my swollen belly.
Richard stared into the glowing red recording light, his chest heaving as sweat poured down his temples.
"State your name, your relation to Sarah Sterling, and the events of this evening," Jax commanded, resting his hand casually on the grip of his sidearm.
Richard swallowed hard, his voice cracking horribly. "My... my name is Richard Sterling. Sarah Sterling is my wife. Tonight... on Thanksgiving... I... I abused her. I forced her to serve my mistress, Jessica. I struck her with a belt... and I forced her to kneel on shattered glass."
"And the baby?" I prompted quietly.
Richard closed his eyes, tears spilling over his lower lids. "And... and I endangered her pregnancy. I called her a worthless incubator. I am a monster... and I deserve everything coming to me."
"Cut," Kael said.
Jax reached down, tapped the screen to save the video file, and uploaded it instantly to a secure cloud server programmed to automatically transmit copies to every major news outlet, federal regulatory agency, and the board of directors of Sterling Health Network within sixty seconds.
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"And... done," Jax murmured with a cold smile. "By morning, Richard, your name won't just be mud in high society. It'll be a federal case study in corporate and domestic depravity."
Outside, the storm continued to howl, battering against the reinforced windows like an angry ghost trying to claw its way inside. But inside the grand foyer, the air felt lighter, cleared of toxic smoke that had choked me for three long years.
