Chapter 4 - The Vultures Circle
The distant cousins, led by a man named Arthur Whitmore, cornered me in the hospital lobby. Arthur was a thin, predatory man who smelled of cheap cologne and desperation.
"We know who she is, Harrison," Arthur said, blocking my path. "We know the blood relation. And we know you have a reputation to protect. You’re a billionaire bachelor with a secret sister's child. If the board of directors finds out, what happens to your stock prices?"
"Are you threatening me?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.
"We want a settlement," Arthur sneered. "We take custody, you provide a trust fund for her—and for us—and we stay quiet. Otherwise, we go to the press."
I looked at him, feeling the same coldness my father must have felt when he crushed his enemies. "You think you can play me? You think this is about money?"
"Everything is about money," he laughed.
I pulled out my phone and played the audio recording I had been making since the moment they stepped up to me. Every threat, every demand for extortion.
"I don't just own the company, Arthur," I said, stepping closer to him. "I own the law firm that writes your contracts. I own the bank that holds your mortgage. If you come near Sophie again, I will not only destroy your reputation, I will take every single thing you own and leave you sleeping on the sidewalk."
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He turned pale. "You’re a monster."
"I'm a Harrison," I replied. "And you have no idea what that means."
