Chapter 5 - The Desperate Offer
By Thursday evening, the walls were closing in on Nathan with terrifying speed.
Deprived of his corporate accounts, his sports car repossessed by the lease company, and his mistress Brooke having abandoned him forty-eight hours after his credit cards went dead, Nathan was forced to retreat to a cheap airport hotel near Hartford.
At 7:00 PM, my phone rang while I was sitting at my office desk at L'Etoile, reviewing the weekend dinner reservation logs. The restaurant was completely booked—patrons were flocking to support the business after news broke of my executive takeover.
It was Nathan’s attorney, Richard Hayes.
"Mrs. Reed," Hayes began, his tone far less aggressive than it had been two days ago. "My client is willing to sign a full, uncontested divorce settlement tonight."
I leaned back in my leather chair, tapping my pen against the desk. "What are his terms?"
"He will surrender all claims to the Reed Restaurant Group, waive all rights to corporate equity, and agree to your full legal custody of Lily," Hayes stated.
I narrowed my eyes. "And in exchange?"
"In exchange, you drop the civil fraud lawsuit, dismiss the foreclosure proceedings against his parents' mansion, and submit a letter of non-prosecution to the District Attorney regarding the embezzlement charges."
I let out a low, dry laugh.
"Mr. Hayes," I said softly, "your client embezzled $1.2 million, forged my signature on federal tax filings, and left his daughter weeping in a hallway on Christmas Eve. Do you honestly believe I am going to trade his criminal freedom for assets I already legally control?"
"Mrs. Reed, please," Hayes's voice dropped into a desperate murmur. "Nathan is facing five to ten years in state prison if the DA moves forward with the indictment on Monday. His parents are elderly. They will be homeless by next week if the auction proceeds."
"Then they should have raised a son who understood the value of loyalty and law," I replied coldly.
"Wait! Clara!"
A sudden, breathless voice took over the phone line. Nathan had grabbed the receiver from his lawyer.
"Clara... please," Nathan wept into the speaker, his voice cracking with raw, pathetic desperation. "I’m begging you. I’m on my knees in this hotel room, Clara. Please... don't send me to prison. Think about Lily! Do you want her father to be a convicted felon?!"
"You didn't think about Lily when you brought Brooke Lawson to your parents' party, Nathan," I said, my voice steady as granite. "You didn't think about Lily when you spent her college trust fund on a Soho condo."
"I made a mistake!" Nathan sobbed. "I was stupid! I was arrogant! Brooke tricked me—she manipulated me into thinking you were going to leave me anyway! I still love you, Clara! I've always loved you!"
"You don't love me, Nathan," I whispered, holding the phone tightly. "You love the comfort I provided. You love the safety net I built for you while you played the big businessman. But the safety net is gone."
"Clara, please—"
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"I will see you in court on Monday morning, Nathan," I said. "And tell your parents to have their suitcases packed by noon."
I disconnected the line.
