Chapter 10 - THE FINAL CHECKMATETwo days later, inside a sterile, fluorescent-lit visiting room at the county detention center, Mason Sterling sat behind a thick pane of reinforced glass, staring at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated venom.
He looked terrible. The tailored navy suit was gone, replaced by a standard-issue orange jumpsuit. His hair was uncombed, and the polished charm that had once fooled everyone in his life had completely evaporated, leaving only a desperate, cornered rat.
“You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Rachel?” Mason sneered into the plastic telephone receiver attached to the glass partition. “You think because you and that pathetic second wife of mine cleaned out my safety deposit box that you’ve won? I have money tucked away in places you’ll never find in a million years. When I get out of here, I’m going to take Lily away from you so fast your head will spin.”
I lifted the telephone receiver to my ear, a calm, serene smile playing on my lips.
“You’re not getting out, Mason,” I said softly, my voice clear and steady through the speaker.
“Try me,” he scoffed. “My defense attorney says—'”
“Your defense attorney dropped you an hour ago,” I interrupted smoothly. “Right after Arthur Whitmore’s legal team submitted the final financial audit proving that not only did you commit corporate embezzlement and bigamy, but that you deliberately transferred four million dollars from an illicit crypto wallet into a state-approved victim restitution fund under my name.”
Mason’s arrogant sneer instantly vanished. The color drained from his face, leaving him looking ghastly under the harsh overhead lights.
“What... what did you say?” he stammered, gripping the edges of the metal table.
“Elena and I paid a little visit to your safety deposit box in Denver,” I continued, leaning slightly closer to the glass. “We retrieved the recovery keys, accessed your master wallet, and legally transferred every single cent back to where it belongs. As of ten minutes ago, you are officially legally bankrupt, financially ruined, and facing twenty-five years without the possibility of parole.”
Mason slammed his fists against the glass partition, shouting obscenities so loudly that two guards immediately rushed into the room, pinning his arms behind his back and forcing him down into his metal chair.
“You bitch!” he screamed, his voice cracking with rage as they dragged him backward toward the heavy steel exit doors. “You’ll pay for this! You hear me? You’ll pay!”
I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink.
I simply hung up the telephone receiver, stood up, and smoothed down my coat.
Outside the detention center, the crisp winter air hit my face, fresh and clear. The snow-covered mountains in the distance no longer looked like a symbol of terror and isolation; they looked like a monument to survival.
I walked back to my car, opened the rear door, and looked down into the carrier. Lily was wide awake now, her bright, curious eyes looking up at me with absolute trust.
May you like
I reached down, gently stroked her soft cheek, and smiled.
“We’re going home, sweet girl,” I whispered.
