Chapter 8 - The Confrontation
Vivien spun around, her breath catching in her throat.
Walking into the room, flanked by two massive security guards, was Rosa Delgado. And held tightly in Rosa’s arms was Lily, wearing her bright yellow socks and clutching her red rubber ball.
When Lily saw Vivien, she didn't flinch this time. She pointed a small, accusatory finger directly at the woman in the cream silk dress.
"The mean lady," Lily said clearly. "She pushed the grandma. I saw her."
Vivien stared at the child, her eyes wide with a mixture of horror and unadulterated rage. "You... you little rat! You were supposed to be in Texas! You ruined everything!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Vivien realized what she had done. She gasped, covering her lips, but it was too late. The confession, born of pure, panicked fury, had been spoken aloud in front of four witnesses.
And beneath the glass table, a red recording light on Nathaniel’s hidden phone glowed steadily.
"Thank you, Rosa," Nathaniel said softly, his eyes never leaving Vivien. "Take Lily outside."
Rosa nodded, giving Vivien one final look of pure, triumphant disdain before carrying her daughter out of the room. The door slid shut behind them.
Vivien sank onto the leather sofa, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking. The elegant, untouchable socialite was gone. In her place sat a broken criminal.
"Nathaniel, please," she sobbed, looking up at him with desperate, tear-stained eyes. "I had no choice. My family... we were going to lose everything. The debt collectors were threatening my mother. Arthur Pendelton approached me. He forced my hand! He told me that if I didn't get the voting shares, he would expose my family's bankruptcy to the high society circles. I would have been cast out! I love you, Nathaniel. I swear I love you!"
"You don't know what love is," Nathaniel said, looking down at her with nothing but profound pity and disgust. "Love protects. It doesn't murder. It doesn't threaten children."
He turned to Marcus. "Call the police. Give them the recording, the financial audit, and the witness statements. And tell Arthur Pendelton that the Port Authority Police are waiting for him in the lobby."
"Right away, Nathaniel," Marcus said, stepping out of the room with a satisfied grimace.
May you like
Vivien looked out the window at the rain, her empire of lies crumbling into dust. "What happens to me now?" she whispered.
"You go to prison, Vivien," Nathaniel said, turning his back on her. "And you never, ever come near my family again."
