Chapter 5 - The War Begins
Nathan walked out into the private living quarters, closing the bedroom door gently to spare Claire and the girls from the sudden storm.
“What do you mean he raided her apartment?” Nathan demanded, his voice low and deadly.
“Sterling’s security team broke the lock twenty minutes ago, claiming they were enforcing a bank repossession on the property,” Marcus reported over the phone. “They pulled out boxes of her personal belongings. Nathan... they were looking for something specific.”
“The blue box,” Nathan muttered, realizing it instantly.
Richard Sterling wasn’t just tracking Claire to enforce his old threat—he knew Claire possessed evidence. If Claire had kept photographs and letters, she might also have kept the original extortion documents Richard had used against her five years ago.
“Arthur,” Nathan said, turning to his lawyer who was already packing his briefcase. “Call the Chief of Police. Tell him Richard Sterling’s private contractors are committing illegal breaking and entering at 412 Maple Street. Send my private security detail to secure the perimeter.”
“On it,” Arthur said, quickly dialing his phone.
Nathan looked back through the glass window. Claire was laughing through her tears as Sophie showed her a drawing she had made on hospital stationery. Five years of isolation, struggle, and fear were standing right behind that glass.
Nathan walked to the suite’s mirror, adjusting his tie. The cold, detached executive who cared only about spreadsheets was gone. In his place stood a man who finally had something worth fighting for.
Twenty minutes later, Nathan’s black SUV pulled up outside 412 Maple Street in a working-class neighborhood of Seattle. Rain had begun to fall, slicking the pavement. Two police cruisers were already parked outside with lights flashing, alongside two black sedans belonging to Sterling’s private team.
Nathan stepped out into the rain, not bothering with an umbrella.
A tall, grey-haired man in a tailored overcoat was standing on the porch, arguing with a police captain. It was Richard Sterling. He looked older, heavier, but his eyes carried the same arrogant arrogance that Nathan remembered from six years ago.
“Nathan!” Richard called out, a fake, charming smile spreading across his face as Nathan strode up the walkway. “I heard a rumor you were down here. Small world, isn't it?”
Nathan didn't slow down until he was standing inches from Richard on the porch. “Get your men off this property, Richard.”
Richard’s smile faded into a cold sneer. He lowered his voice so the police officers couldn't hear. “Always so dramatic, Nathan. I’m just collecting what’s mine. You know, your little girlfriend defaulted on her rent. The building belongs to one of my subsidiaries.”
“She isn’t my girlfriend. She’s the mother of my children,” Nathan said, his voice like grinding stones. “And you’re trespassing.”
Richard’s eyes narrowed slightly, a ripple of genuine surprise passing over his face before he masked it with contempt. “Triplets, right? Cute kids. It’s a shame you didn’t get to see them grow up. But then again, Claire chose to run to keep you out of a orange jumpsuit.”
“The fake fraud files,” Nathan stated calmly. “You used manufactured evidence to threaten her.”
“Manufactured?” Richard scoffed quietly. “It doesn’t matter if it was real or fake, Nathan. It worked. She believed me. She ran. And now, she’s broken, broke, and dying in a public hospital while you play savior.”
Nathan reached into his coat, pulled out his phone, and pressed a button. A clear audio recording began playing from the speakers—Richard’s voice from thirty seconds ago: “It doesn’t matter if it was real or fake, Nathan. It worked. She believed me. She ran.”
May you like
Richard’s face drained of color. “You recorded me?”
“The police captain behind you is wearing a body camera, Richard,” Nathan said smoothly, gesturing to the officer who was now stepping forward with hand-cuffs out. “And in Washington State, extortion involving corporate fraud and child endangerment carries a minimum fifteen-year sentence.”
