Chapter 6 - The Desperate Mistress
Three days later, the rain had finally stopped, replaced by a cold, crisp autumn wind that swept through the streets of Manhattan.
I was sitting in a private corner booth at an upscale restaurant near Wall Street, sipping tea while reviewing the legal papers for Mercer Development's name change. As of Monday, the company would officially be rebranded as Vance Global Logistics.
A woman in a silk trench coat and dark sunglasses approached my table. She hesitated for a second before pulling out the chair across from me and sitting down.
It was Celeste Vance—no relation to Marcus—Grant’s high-society mistress of two years. She was the woman Grant had been secretly buying Cartier bracelets for while telling me the company couldn't afford to pay for my late aunt's medical bills.
She took off her sunglasses. Her eyes were red, her face pale without her usual flawless makeup.
"Nora," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"Miss Vance," I said, not setting my tea down. "You have two minutes before my security detail asks you to leave."
"I came to make a deal," Celeste said quickly, leaning forward, her hands trembling as she clutched a small leather envelope. "I have emails. I have text messages. I have recordings of Grant talking about how he was going to force you to sign over your aunt's trust funds."
I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"He told me he was going to lock you in a private psychiatric facility in Switzerland," Celeste said, her voice shaking with genuine fear. "He said once you were declared legally incompetent, he would take full control of your estate and transfer everything to his mother's foundation. He planned it all out, Nora! I have the drafts!"
I looked at her calmly. "And why are you bringing this to me now, Celeste? Why didn't you bring this to the police six months ago when he bought you that three-bedroom condo in Soho?"
Celeste’s face flushed red with shame. "Because... because the DA froze my condo yesterday! They said it was bought with embezzled funds! They’re going to seize my cars, my jewelry, everything! Nora, I didn't know he was stealing from you! He told me you were just an unemployed drunk who lived in his guest house!"
I set my teacup down with a soft, deliberate click against the saucer.
"You knew exactly who I was, Celeste," I said, my voice smooth and cold as ice. "You sat at my dinner table last Christmas, wore the diamond necklace he bought with my money, and smiled at me while Evelyn called me incompetent. You enjoyed watching me suffer because it made you feel superior."
"Nora... please," Celeste sobbed, reaching out to touch my hand, but I pulled my arm back with disgust. "I can testify against him! I can help you put him in prison forever!"
"The prosecution already has twenty-four felony counts against him, Celeste," I said, standing up from the booth. "They don't need your testimony. And as for your condo... my legal team filed the forfeiture motion this morning. You have forty-eight hours to pack your bags."
Celeste stared at me, her eyes wide with shock. "You're taking my home?!"
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"It was never your home," I replied, leaning in close so only she could hear my words. "It was bought with stolen money. Just like Grant's life. Just like your pride. Enjoy the street, Celeste."
I turned and walked away, leaving her sitting alone in the middle of the restaurant, crying into her expensive designer scarf.
