Chapter 6 - The Deposition Trap
Three days later, the preliminary evidentiary deposition was held in the glass-walled conference room of Sterling & Associates on the forty-fifth floor of the Willis Tower.
The atmosphere was thick with hostility.
Across the broad oak table sat Victor Vance, dressed in an expensive blue suit, though his bloodshot eyes and nervous habit of tapping his pen against the table betrayed his composure. Beside him sat his mother, Gloria, wearing a dark Chanel suit, her face set into a mask of arrogant disdain.
At the head of their table sat Richard Sterling, their primary defense counsel, flanked by two junior associates.
I sat beside Rachel, holding a leather folder. Victoria Sterling sat at our center, while Marcus Thorne leaned against the back wall, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the proceedings.
"Let the record reflect that this is the emergency deposition regarding the matter of Vance v. Vance," the court reporter droned, her fingers poised over her stenography machine.
Richard Sterling cleared his throat, leaning forward. "Before we begin, I want to state on the record that my client, Mr. Victor Vance, deeply regrets the emotional scene that occurred at the restaurant last week. It was a momentary lapse in judgment brought on by severe professional stress. However, we are prepared to offer a generous settlement to avoid a drawn-out, public scandal that would benefit no one."
Richard slid a document across the table.
"Mr. Vance agrees to sign an immediate uncontested divorce," Richard continued smoothly. "He will waive his proxy rights over Mrs. Vance’s trust, provided that Mrs. Vance drops all criminal domestic battery charges, vacates the Order of Protection, and releases all claims against Vance Construction and Apex Holdings."
Victoria Sterling didn't even look at the paper. She pushed it back across the table with a single finger.
"Rejected," Victoria said flatly.
Victor slammed his hand on the table. "Victoria, be reasonable! You're dragging this out to milk legal fees! Rachel doesn't want a public trial! She doesn't have the stomach for it!"
"Mr. Vance, speak only when questioned by counsel," Victoria warned sharply.
Gloria sneered across the table, her dark eyes flashing with hatred. "You think you have us cornered, don't you, Margaret? You think a forty-second video clip makes you a kingmaker? We have six character witnesses—business partners, neighbors, doctors—who will testify under oath that Rachel has been emotionally unstable and alcohol-dependent for the past two years!"
Rachel didn't flinch. She sat straight, her hands folded neatly on top of her file.
"Mrs. Vance," I spoke up gently, my voice calm and measured. "Are you referring to Dr. Harrison Vance—Victor’s second cousin—who prescribed Rachel high-dose anti-anxiety medications without performing a single psychological evaluation?"
Gloria’s mouth snapped shut.
I opened my leather folder and pulled out a stack of medical records, sliding them into the center of the table.
"Dr. Harrison Vance’s medical license was suspended by the State Board of Illinois four hours ago," I announced smoothly. "Following a surprise audit that revealed he had been issuing illegal prescriptions in exchange for kickbacks funded by Apex Holdings."
Victor’s pen snapped in half between his fingers, black ink splattering across his pristine white cuffs. "What?!"
"And as for your character witnesses, Gloria," Marcus added from the back wall, holding up his tablet. "Four of Victor’s primary subcontractors have just signed sworn affidavits detailing how Vance Construction forced them to submit double-billed invoices to the city infrastructure board."
"This is outrageous!" Richard Sterling shouted, standing up from his chair. "This is a divorce deposition, not a federal grand jury!"
"It became a federal grand jury twenty minutes ago, Richard," Victoria Sterling replied, pulling a heavy silver thumb drive from her briefcase and holding it up between two fingers.
"What is that?" Richard demanded, his voice finally losing its cocky edge.
"This thumb drive contains the full digital forensic mirror of Apex Holdings' server," Victoria said, leaning across the table until she was just inches from Victor's pale face. "Including the encrypted ledger detailing twelve million dollars of wire fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering... co-signed by you and your mother."
Gloria stood up so fast her chair fell backward, crashing onto the carpet. "Where did you get that?! That server was encrypted with twenty-eight-bit security!"
Rachel looked across the table at her mother-in-law, a small, cold smile appearing on her face.
"You taught me how to manage your corporate filing system, Gloria," Rachel said softly. "You told me I was just a glorified secretary. You forgot that before I was your secretary... I passed the Illinois Bar Exam with a specialization in corporate law."
Silence descended upon the conference room like a vault door slamming shut.
Victor looked at his lawyer, his eyes wide with absolute panic. "Richard... fix this. Fix this right now! Use the prenup!"
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Richard Sterling slowly closed his leather binder, looked at Victor, then looked at Gloria. He let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"There is no fixing this, Victor," Richard whispered, his voice completely defeated. "The prenup is dead. The company is dead. And you need to hire a criminal defense lawyer immediately."
