Chapter 6: The Blackmail
I was right. A month after the canceled wedding, Vanessa showed up at my office. She looked nothing like the frantic bride; she was cold, calculated, and wearing a smirk that made my blood boil.
"Let's cut to the chase, Julian," she said, dropping a flash drive on my desk. "I have edited audio clips of you screaming at me. I have photos of Leo looking bruised—makeup does wonders, by the way. If you don't wire two million dollars into my offshore account by Friday, I go to the press. I'll tell them you're an abusive monster and that I had to flee the wedding to save my own life."
I stared at her, feeling a terrifying calm wash over me. She was threatening to take away my reputation, my business, and potentially trigger a CPS investigation that could traumatize Leo all over again.
May you like
"Two million?" I asked, keeping my voice perfectly level.
"Consider it an inconvenience fee," she sneered.
