Chapter 5 - The Terms of Surrender“I’m not opening the door,” Ruth said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I have a broom and I’m not afraid to use it on a Hayes.”
“Let them in, Ruth,” I said, my voice steady and cold as marble. “It’s time they learned what the bottom of the ladder looks like.”
Ruth hesitated, then unlocked the heavy wooden door and swung it open just enough for Trevor and his lawyer to see inside.
Trevor looked terrible. The arrogant gleam in his eye was gone, replaced by a desperate, hollow exhaustion. He took a step forward, as if to push past Ruth, but stopped dead when he saw me standing in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a cup of tea.
“Chloe,” Trevor breathed, his voice cracking on my name. He actually tried to force a pathetic, pleading smile. “Chloe, please. Let’s talk. This... this has gone completely insane. The police were at the house. Dad is furious, but... look, we can fix this. We’re a family.”
“We were never a family, Trevor,” I said, stepping closer to the door, though I didn't invite them in. “We were an arrangement. You wanted an ornament for your arm and a chef for your mother’s dinner parties, and I foolishly thought patience could turn a stone into a husband.”
Julian Vance stepped forward, holding out the manila folder with hands that shook ever so slightly. “Mrs. Hayes—Chloe. Let’s dispense with the theatrics. We know what you have. We know the federal prosecutor has the flash drive.”
“And?” I raised an eyebrow.
“And we are prepared to accept an uncontested divorce on your exact terms,” Julian said, his professional demeanor strained to its absolute limit. “Full custody of Leo, transfer of the Paradise Valley primary residence, liquidation of the shared investment accounts, and complete ownership of the commercial real estate portfolio in downtown Phoenix.”
Trevor let out a choked sound of disbelief. “Julian! That’s everything! That’s our entire livelihood!”
“Shut up, Trevor,” Julian snapped, losing his temper for a split second before regaining his composure. He looked back at me. “Those are the terms your lawyer demanded an hour ago. Arthur authorized them. In exchange... full indemnification for Arthur Hayes. No criminal referral to the state attorney general.”
I looked from Julian’s desperate face to Trevor’s tear-streaked, betrayed expression. They thought they could still trade money for immunity, trading pawns to save the king.
“Arthur wants immunity?” I smiled, a cold, sharp expression that made Trevor take an involuntary step backward. “Tell Arthur that his immunity isn't up to me. It’s up to the federal grand jury. My papers are signed, my custody order is ironclad, and my divorce is going through whether he likes it or not.”
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I reached out, plucked the manila folder right out of Julian’s trembling hand, and stepped back into the hallway.
“As for the rest of it?” I looked straight into Trevor’s red, bloodshot eyes. “Have your new attorney pack your remaining clothes into a battered suitcase, Trevor. Leave it on the front steps of the estate. Because by tomorrow morning, the locks are being changed, and you’re going to find out what it feels like to have absolutely nothing.”
