Chapter 6 - Shadows in the Penthouse
Up on the fifty-fifth floor of Sterling Tower, the city lights flickered to life like a constellation scattered across the dark velvet of the night.
I sat behind the vast mahogany desk that had once belonged to my aunt, reviewing the preliminary asset recovery report compiled by Rachel’s forensic team. The numbers were staggering. Over the course of their eight-year marriage, Luca had systematically diverted more than three point two million dollars into offshore accounts, shell corporations, and lavish gifts for various mistresses—with Chloe Ruiz accounting for the lion's share over the past eighteen months.
The door to the private office clicked open, and Rachel walked in, carrying a fresh cup of black coffee and a thick manila envelope.
"You're working late, Jessi," Rachel noted, setting the coffee down beside my laptop. "The kids are fast asleep with the nanny, and you've been in this chair since nine this morning."
"I just want to close every loophole, Rachel," I said, rubbing my temples. "I want to make sure that when this goes to trial next month, Luca has zero legal standing to claw back anything."
"He won't," Rachel said firmly, pulling a document from the envelope. "In fact, his legal defense is actively disintegrating. His public defender filed a motion to withdraw from the case this afternoon because Luca tried to forge an affidavit claiming you were the mastermind behind the corporate fraud."
I let out a quiet sigh, shaking my head. "He still thinks he can outsmart everyone. Even at the very end, he refuses to take responsibility."
"That's narcissism for you," Rachel replied, leaning against the edge of the desk. "Speaking of remnants of his past... remember Chloe Ruiz?"
I looked up sharply. "What about her?"
"After our team cleared her out of the Tribeca penthouse on Saturday, she tried to storm the lobby of Vance Consulting this morning demanding a severance package. When security blocked her, she started screaming that Luca had promised her a partnership and a fifty-thousand-dollar monthly allowance." Rachel smirked. "She even showed reporters text messages where Luca assured her that your editing earnings were funding their lifestyle."
"Let the press have a field day," I said coldly. "Those text messages are just more evidence for our civil suit against him."
"Oh, it gets better," Rachel said, pulling out a printed screenshot of a social media post. "She posted a furious public rant on LinkedIn accusing Luca of financial ruin, manipulation, and identity fraud, tagging all of his former business associates. She essentially burned his entire professional network to the ground before deleting her account."
I looked at the screenshot, a quiet sense of poetic justice washing over me. Luca had used Chloe to humiliate me on our front porch, believing she was his loyal accomplice in seizing my life. In the end, she had delivered the final blow to his reputation.
"How are the kids adapting?" Rachel asked softly, changing the subject.
May you like
"They're resilient," I smiled, thinking of Fiona’s bright laugh in the kitchen and Leo playing with the new puppy. "They don't miss the tension, and they certainly don't miss him shouting at his phone during dinner. For the first time in their lives, our home feels like a sanctuary."
"Good," Rachel said, standing up and straightening her blazer. "Because tomorrow morning, we begin the structural rebranding of Sterling Holdings. Your aunt’s legacy isn't just about preserving wealth, Jessi. It’s about building something new from the ashes."
